Cold snowy day. in Cooks Creek. Snow storm (kind of) has moved in from Saskatchewan. Wind is out of the East. (this is odd because Saskatchewan is west of us). Anyway it is cold with a strong wind to boot, so not a good day to be outside.
This is not goin to be part two of my previous blog on the roles of men and women. That would take some thought and I don’t feel like thinking today. Must be tired or something. Part two will be comin shortly. I am at home today from work. Not because of the snow but I am on vacation for the next two days. My daughter is out of university because they are doin exams so because we drive into the city together every day I thought it would be a good time for me to use up some of my vacation time. So here I sit bloggin. I have a big pot of homemade turkey soup on the stove for supper and the daughter is makin biscuits. I am a good soup maker. Second to none. Ya all know I’m funning with ya, don’t ya. So, it will be soup and biscuits for supper. When my better half gets home from work she won’t have to do a thing except enjoy our creations. What could be better than that? What a great husband I am. Man, is she lucky. Now, I just got to convince her. Actually, I’m just tryin to suck up in case that men and women roles blog doesn’t go too well.
Here’s a joke for ya.
The Michaels family owned a small farm in Canada, just yards away from the North Dakota border. Their land had been the subject of a minor dispute between the United States and Canada for generations. Mrs. Michaels, who had just celebrated her ninetieth birthday, lived on the farm with her son and three grandchildren.
One day, her son came into her room holding a letter. "I just got some news, Ma," he said. "The government has come to an agreement with the people in Washington. They've decided that our land is really part of the United States. We have the right to approve or disapprove of the agreement. What do you think?"
"What do I think?" his mother said. "Jump at it! Call them right now and tell them we accept! I don't think I could stand another one of those Canadian winters!"
Yesterday I made a rather frivolous (sp?) purchase. I bought a vehicle hoist for my shop. Yes sir, when I get that baby up, no more layin on my back under a vehicle. Did I need one? Well not really but the price was such that I would be loosin money if I didn’t buy it (at least that is what I told the wife). I got it used. It was traded in because it would not pass a safety. The safety concerns are such they won’t be of concern to me because in reality the hoist won’t be used all that much. Anyway, I brought the rascal home and had to get it off the truck. Well, after some thought and much help from my two daughters we got er done and it is layin on the shop floor. Now I got to get it put together and operational. My shop has infloor heat so I am a little concerned about drillin into the floor and possibly hittin a water line. Some thought and care needs to be taken when I take that project on.
I have made it my mission again this CHRISTMAS to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS. Not a Happy Holiday, Seasons Greetings or Best of the New Year but a MERRY CHRISTMAS! With an emphasis on CHRIST. Please do the same. Let’s put Christ back in this time of year. Let’s remember what it’s all about and make sure others do too.
On December 23rd. our Little Barn Church is doin a Christmas deal . The kids are putting on a play and playin instruments and my lovely wife, Cheryl is thinking of singin a solo. This is something she has wanted to do all her life but she is scared big time. She is really a very good singer and I enjoy her singin at home and while we are at church (because she makes me stand beside her). She has never sung alone in front of anyone other than family. I ask ya all pray to give her strength to pull this deal off. It will mean allot to her (and me). Who knows maybe she could get to be famous and I could retire and blog full time.
We have a new COOP in the nearby town of Oakbank. There is goin to be a grocery store, a gas station and a hardware (lumber) store. Only the grocery store is open so far but the other two aren’t far behind. Ya know I’m excited about that hardware store opening. We went to the grocery store yesterday and had a look see. It looks good, good selection and the prices aren’t too bad either. Prices are slightly higher than in the city but that is to be expected. It will be good to have a decent hardware store close. Never fails, ya get into a project and ya need some unforeseen piece. It would be an hour trip before. Now it should take 15 minutes.
Well, I got to go and clean a little snow. Talk to ya all soon.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
November 29, 2007 The Roles of Men and Women
Good evening from Cooks Creek. Extreme cold has set in here. The mild fall has turned into winter. We are really feelin the cold since we did not get a chance to adapt. It went from a mild 30 to -30 in a heart beat. About 5 inches of snow on the ground. This is not uncommon for this time of year. It is the big fluctuation in temperature that has us all scrambling for the warm indoors.
Last Sunday our Pastor talked on 1 Timothy Chapter 2. Now anyone that knows the Bible is goin to know this area is a touchy subject to some. The role of men and women is always a thing that has people treading lightly. I listened and pondered and listened and pondered some more. I do a lot of ponderin in church. I don’t say much, just think and listen. Better to keep my mouth shut and people only think I’m stupid than to open my mouth and remove all doubt. Anyway, where was I? Oh yea, men and women. On Sunday evening, me and the Mrs. started talking about what our Preacher was talking about. Kind of had a little Bible study. Just the two of us. It went on till midnight. Needless to say I was tired the next day cause my day starts at 5:00 am. I’m not stallin, really I’m not. Just keep getting side tracked. Now where was I again? Oh yea. Me and the wife were talking about men and women and what their roles should be.
We started by layin out what we knew for sure. Kind of no brainers. What I am about to blog is what the wife and I came up with in our discussion on Sunday night.
Men and women are different emotionally.
Women and men are different physically. (notice how I put men first once then women first the next time, got to be politically correct ya know)
Women bare children.
Women need men to have children.
Men need women and women need men to fulfill their lives.
Without men or without women, humans would become extinct in a few short years.
Leadership and superiority is not the same thing.
Leadership is required to maintain order.
The family is important to civilization.
Raisin children is the most important job anyone will ever do.
Self worth is in the mind of the beholder.
Modern society’s belief of the importance of a person’s work and roles are not important in the whole scheme of things.
God loves both men and women the same.
In the Bible, God is referenced as a male.
God is the father of all man kind.
There are specific references in the Bible as to what the roles of a man should be and what a woman should be.
The Bible is the truth.
In nature, females and males of any species have specific roles.
This is what me and my wife come up with. I don’t think anyone can argue against any of these points with much conviction. I’m goin to leave this for tonight and let ya all think on this a spell. I will come back to it in my next post and let ya all know what me and the wife come up with. And yes, we do agree on this. We are both on the same page so to speak.
How about a joke to ease the tention a little. I know I probably am committing blog suicide here with addressing this topic but if ya can’t write what ya think and believe there ain’t no use writin anything at all.
A wife goes to bed at night irritated at her husband so she decides to pray, and this is what she said "God give me tolerance for my husbands stupidity, give me wisdom to understand him, give me forgiveness to forgive him of his ignorance, but please God I beg of thee don’t give me strength cause I’ll kill him!"
Part 2 will be comin at ya soon.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
November 24, 2007 One month until Christmas
Saturday evening in Cooks Creek. Not much happening. At least not in our home anyway. Actually, it is a good bet there aint much happenin anywhere in Cooks Creek.
I spent the day around the old homestead on our property clearing up some deadfall and cutting wood. Hard work but it is good work. Work I enjoy. Come to think of it, I enjoy it so much it doesn’t feel like work at all. Could put it on the same level as going huntin or fishin. With that all said, I am bushed. That little chain saw was getting kind of heavy after a time. Ya got to watch cause when ya start getting tired and your holdin a chain saw it may be better to call it quits. Still lots to do but it will be there another day.
Just sittin around here and thinking about how good I got it. Got a family that is second to none. Nice and warm in our little house. Roof don’t leak and ya can’t feel the wind (well not much anyway). Had a good supper, so I am well fed. Can’t think of a single thing I need. Well, there is one thing I think I will need in a short time, some sleep.
The wife has started playin her Christmas Hymns. She will play those CDs every chance she gets until Christmas. My Blue Grass has to take a back seat this time of year. She sure does love her Christmas carols.
Church tomorrow morning. I missed last week cause I had to work. So tomorrow we will be there and it is a bonus Sunday cause it is pot luck Sunday. Everyone brings a dish of something and ya get to have a great lunch after the service. Not sure what we are bringin (not my department). Last time wife made perogies. Maybe the same this time. Not sure.
I got the stalls in the barn completed. Didn’t do a bad job for a fella who isn’t much of a carpenter. My Dad was a carpenter and when I was a yung un I would have to help him. I sure wish I would of paid more attention to what he was doin and how he did it. As with most little guys my mind was on baseball, hockey, huntin and fishin. I would go and help cause I had to but my mind was mostly somewhere else. Sure could use some of that knowledge today. But ain’t that always the way. Ya squander your time and then spend time wishin ya wouldn’t have squandered it. My Dad wasn’t much of a teacher. If ya wanted to learn something ya shutup and watched. He didn’t want for me to be a carpenter. Not sure why. Just always said “ya don’t want to be don this for a livin”. That was ok with me cause I was more interested in machines anyway. My Dad’s Dad’s Dad (my great grandpa) was a carpenter. My Dad’s Dad (my grandpa) was a mechanic. My Dad was a carpenter. I am a mechanic. So, if trends are anything to go by my son will be a carpenter. That would be ok with me or not. What ever he wants to do as long as he gives it his all and is the best he can be.
As ya can see from my ramblins above I don’t have allot to tell ya but that is ok. Just some small talk. How about I end er off with a huntin joke.
A deeer hunter went on a deer hunt with his wife and mother-in-law. One evening, while still deep in the wilderness, his wife awoke to find her mother gone. Rushing to her husband, she insisted that they both try to find her mother.
The hunter picked up his rifle, and started to look for her. In a clearing not far from deer camp, they came upon a dreadful sight. His mother-in-law was backed up against a huge oak and a big grizzly bear stood facing her.
The wife cried, "What are we going to do?"
"Nothing," said her husband. "That bear got himself into this mess, let him get himself out of it."
That’s all folks. Talk to ya all soon.
I spent the day around the old homestead on our property clearing up some deadfall and cutting wood. Hard work but it is good work. Work I enjoy. Come to think of it, I enjoy it so much it doesn’t feel like work at all. Could put it on the same level as going huntin or fishin. With that all said, I am bushed. That little chain saw was getting kind of heavy after a time. Ya got to watch cause when ya start getting tired and your holdin a chain saw it may be better to call it quits. Still lots to do but it will be there another day.
Just sittin around here and thinking about how good I got it. Got a family that is second to none. Nice and warm in our little house. Roof don’t leak and ya can’t feel the wind (well not much anyway). Had a good supper, so I am well fed. Can’t think of a single thing I need. Well, there is one thing I think I will need in a short time, some sleep.
The wife has started playin her Christmas Hymns. She will play those CDs every chance she gets until Christmas. My Blue Grass has to take a back seat this time of year. She sure does love her Christmas carols.
Church tomorrow morning. I missed last week cause I had to work. So tomorrow we will be there and it is a bonus Sunday cause it is pot luck Sunday. Everyone brings a dish of something and ya get to have a great lunch after the service. Not sure what we are bringin (not my department). Last time wife made perogies. Maybe the same this time. Not sure.
I got the stalls in the barn completed. Didn’t do a bad job for a fella who isn’t much of a carpenter. My Dad was a carpenter and when I was a yung un I would have to help him. I sure wish I would of paid more attention to what he was doin and how he did it. As with most little guys my mind was on baseball, hockey, huntin and fishin. I would go and help cause I had to but my mind was mostly somewhere else. Sure could use some of that knowledge today. But ain’t that always the way. Ya squander your time and then spend time wishin ya wouldn’t have squandered it. My Dad wasn’t much of a teacher. If ya wanted to learn something ya shutup and watched. He didn’t want for me to be a carpenter. Not sure why. Just always said “ya don’t want to be don this for a livin”. That was ok with me cause I was more interested in machines anyway. My Dad’s Dad’s Dad (my great grandpa) was a carpenter. My Dad’s Dad (my grandpa) was a mechanic. My Dad was a carpenter. I am a mechanic. So, if trends are anything to go by my son will be a carpenter. That would be ok with me or not. What ever he wants to do as long as he gives it his all and is the best he can be.
As ya can see from my ramblins above I don’t have allot to tell ya but that is ok. Just some small talk. How about I end er off with a huntin joke.
A deeer hunter went on a deer hunt with his wife and mother-in-law. One evening, while still deep in the wilderness, his wife awoke to find her mother gone. Rushing to her husband, she insisted that they both try to find her mother.
The hunter picked up his rifle, and started to look for her. In a clearing not far from deer camp, they came upon a dreadful sight. His mother-in-law was backed up against a huge oak and a big grizzly bear stood facing her.
The wife cried, "What are we going to do?"
"Nothing," said her husband. "That bear got himself into this mess, let him get himself out of it."
That’s all folks. Talk to ya all soon.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
November 17, 2007
What a great day. It is well below freezing out there this morning but the sun is shining and there is not a cloud in the sky. Perfect late fall weather. And best of all, no mud. Ya can walk anywhere and it is like walkin on concrete,
We just come in from outside doin chores. It was only three of us this morning. The oldest went to work at 5:00 and the middle daughter is still under the weather. She has been sick goin on a week now. She will get feelin better then it will hit her again. Don’t really think she has taken in any food for a week and what she has taken in will come back out (if ya get my drift). Why don’t ya take her to a doctor ya say. Good question and that brings me to the point of my rant. Haven’t had one of those for a spell so it is about time.
One of the things that used to be special about Canada was our medical system. We had free medical care. I don’t know how many times I would get to talking with one of our neighbors to the south (state side) and they would go on and on how lucky we were about how we got free medical care. They used to be right. Kind of. It wasn’t really free. We paid for the medical care through the tax system. Those that worked and paid taxes, paid for their medical care. The problem with that was those that worked and paid their taxes had to not only pay for their medical care but they paid for all the lazy slackers that didn’t work. The free loaders. Every country has them and ya we got our share of them too. Actually I think we got more than our share. Anyway, where was I? Oh, ya, the medical system. Well, it is still free but ya can’t get any services. Here is a typical scenario on our medical system. First, let me assure ya, what I am about to say here is the rule in this province, it is not the exception.
A few months ago my father-in-law (who is in his 80s) got ill and one morning he could not get out of bed. An ambulance was called and he was taken to the hospital at around 2:00 PM. He was taken to Emergency. Because he was in bed when the ambulance picked him up he had only his underwear on. He was received at emergency rapped in a sheet and set out in the waiting room in a wheelchair and left. My wife (his daughter) went to the admitting nurse at 9:30 PM and asked when her father was going to be attended to (he had now been waiting for over 7 hours, nothing to eat or drink, no one from the hospital even acknowledged he was still there). She was told ambulance patients have priority. My wife said “FOR PETE SAKE HE CAME IN AN AMBULANCE. At 10:30 that evening he was seen by a doctor. The doctor thought he may have had a stroke and thought they should schedule him for some tests. He was then discharged that evening at around midnight. After a 6 week wait he received his tests and he did have a stroke. In case you’re wondering, he is doing fine but it is of no thanks to our medical system. I’ll let you decide if ya think I am getting my moneys worth for the tax dollars I pay for our medical care. As I sat in that waitin room and watched my father-in-law waitin (wrapped in a sheet in his underwear). I remembered he was a veteran. He fought in the second world war, as did his brother and his father fought in the first world war. This is what his country thinks of him. He can’t buy, beg, borrow or steal medical help.
So where are my tax dollars going? I am payin my taxes and for my taxes one of the things I am suppose to be entitled to is medical care. I am supposed to also be entitled to education and a justice system that keeps me and my property safe. Those systems are in the same situation as our health care. The last I checked stealing was illegal. My money is being stolen from me. I pay taxes and for those taxes I am suppose to receive certain services. If you pay your money for a service and the provider does not deliver is that not illegal? Is that not theft? Our country is in a shambles. The systems our government is supposed to deliver are a mess to say the least. I am required by law to pay my taxes but the law does not require the provider to provide the service. That is because the provider (the government) makes the rules. The provider is a thief. The provider is a crook. I have learned not to depend on my government. I don’t expect anything and I am never disappointed. Thank you Mr. Government for taking my hard earned dollars (over half of my family’s income) and not delivering. At least you’re consistent. One of the main topics in the news these days is how one of our former Prime Ministers is involved in illegal pay offs for awarding untended services. There is no question in my mind he is as crooked as a dogs hind leg. 90% of our politicians and people running this country are self serving. There interest is not to run the country but to line their pockets and elevate their egos. Anybody think different?
How bout a joke? Let me see. Well it is not really a joke, More like a sad truth.
Can you imagine working at the following Company? It has a little over 500 employees with the following statistics:
29 have been accused of spouse abuse
7 have been arrested for fraud
19 have been accused of writing bad cheques
117 have bankrupted at least two businesses
3 have been arrested for assault
71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
8 have been arrested for shop-lifting
21 are current defendants in lawsuits
In 1998 alone 84 were stopped for drunk driving
Can you guess which organization this is?Give up?
It's the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group that perpetually cranks out hundreds upon hundreds of new laws designed to keep the rest of us in line.
I couldn't fine any statisics on our Canadian Parlament but there is no question in my mind we have similarly fine upstanding individuals leading our country. Why do we allow this? How do we change?
Talk to ya all soon.
We just come in from outside doin chores. It was only three of us this morning. The oldest went to work at 5:00 and the middle daughter is still under the weather. She has been sick goin on a week now. She will get feelin better then it will hit her again. Don’t really think she has taken in any food for a week and what she has taken in will come back out (if ya get my drift). Why don’t ya take her to a doctor ya say. Good question and that brings me to the point of my rant. Haven’t had one of those for a spell so it is about time.
One of the things that used to be special about Canada was our medical system. We had free medical care. I don’t know how many times I would get to talking with one of our neighbors to the south (state side) and they would go on and on how lucky we were about how we got free medical care. They used to be right. Kind of. It wasn’t really free. We paid for the medical care through the tax system. Those that worked and paid taxes, paid for their medical care. The problem with that was those that worked and paid their taxes had to not only pay for their medical care but they paid for all the lazy slackers that didn’t work. The free loaders. Every country has them and ya we got our share of them too. Actually I think we got more than our share. Anyway, where was I? Oh, ya, the medical system. Well, it is still free but ya can’t get any services. Here is a typical scenario on our medical system. First, let me assure ya, what I am about to say here is the rule in this province, it is not the exception.
A few months ago my father-in-law (who is in his 80s) got ill and one morning he could not get out of bed. An ambulance was called and he was taken to the hospital at around 2:00 PM. He was taken to Emergency. Because he was in bed when the ambulance picked him up he had only his underwear on. He was received at emergency rapped in a sheet and set out in the waiting room in a wheelchair and left. My wife (his daughter) went to the admitting nurse at 9:30 PM and asked when her father was going to be attended to (he had now been waiting for over 7 hours, nothing to eat or drink, no one from the hospital even acknowledged he was still there). She was told ambulance patients have priority. My wife said “FOR PETE SAKE HE CAME IN AN AMBULANCE. At 10:30 that evening he was seen by a doctor. The doctor thought he may have had a stroke and thought they should schedule him for some tests. He was then discharged that evening at around midnight. After a 6 week wait he received his tests and he did have a stroke. In case you’re wondering, he is doing fine but it is of no thanks to our medical system. I’ll let you decide if ya think I am getting my moneys worth for the tax dollars I pay for our medical care. As I sat in that waitin room and watched my father-in-law waitin (wrapped in a sheet in his underwear). I remembered he was a veteran. He fought in the second world war, as did his brother and his father fought in the first world war. This is what his country thinks of him. He can’t buy, beg, borrow or steal medical help.
So where are my tax dollars going? I am payin my taxes and for my taxes one of the things I am suppose to be entitled to is medical care. I am supposed to also be entitled to education and a justice system that keeps me and my property safe. Those systems are in the same situation as our health care. The last I checked stealing was illegal. My money is being stolen from me. I pay taxes and for those taxes I am suppose to receive certain services. If you pay your money for a service and the provider does not deliver is that not illegal? Is that not theft? Our country is in a shambles. The systems our government is supposed to deliver are a mess to say the least. I am required by law to pay my taxes but the law does not require the provider to provide the service. That is because the provider (the government) makes the rules. The provider is a thief. The provider is a crook. I have learned not to depend on my government. I don’t expect anything and I am never disappointed. Thank you Mr. Government for taking my hard earned dollars (over half of my family’s income) and not delivering. At least you’re consistent. One of the main topics in the news these days is how one of our former Prime Ministers is involved in illegal pay offs for awarding untended services. There is no question in my mind he is as crooked as a dogs hind leg. 90% of our politicians and people running this country are self serving. There interest is not to run the country but to line their pockets and elevate their egos. Anybody think different?
How bout a joke? Let me see. Well it is not really a joke, More like a sad truth.
Can you imagine working at the following Company? It has a little over 500 employees with the following statistics:
29 have been accused of spouse abuse
7 have been arrested for fraud
19 have been accused of writing bad cheques
117 have bankrupted at least two businesses
3 have been arrested for assault
71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
8 have been arrested for shop-lifting
21 are current defendants in lawsuits
In 1998 alone 84 were stopped for drunk driving
Can you guess which organization this is?Give up?
It's the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group that perpetually cranks out hundreds upon hundreds of new laws designed to keep the rest of us in line.
I couldn't fine any statisics on our Canadian Parlament but there is no question in my mind we have similarly fine upstanding individuals leading our country. Why do we allow this? How do we change?
Talk to ya all soon.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
November 13, 2007
Howdy from Cooks Creek. Unusually warm today for the middle of November. Away above freezin and sunny but we are getting some big winds right now. What a break. Every day like this is a bonus. One less day of winter. I do not like winter. Never have and never will.
The flu bug is going through our home like wild fire. Both daughter were home sick today but seem to be on the mend and should be back to normal tomorrow (well, as normal as they get anyway).
As I read other peoples blogs it is interesting to see how people view the next 4 or 5 coming months. In my part of the world, people who live like we do (in the country, on a farm) are preparing or have prepared for the worst. This involves making sure all your machinery (cars, trucks, snowblowers, tractors, loaders etc.) are in top shape and well maintained, heaters have been installed in water tanks, furnaces are in top shape, supply of wood is available, supply of emergency food is available and animals have put on a layer of fat that will sustain them if or should I say when we get 3 weeks of -40. Yes, -40 and large amounts of snow are coming as sure as the sun will rise in the east and set in the west. Am I ready? Na, I'm never ready. There is always one more thing to do and when it (winter) hits, one more thing I should have done and didn't get done. Every year is the same. So here I sit waitin for it to come. When will it hit. Forecast is for cooler weather but no real winter for the next few days anyway.
Chickens know it's comin. Only got 10 eggs today. 10 eggs and a bunch of customers that require 10 dozen a day to meet their needs. Some of our customers undrstand but some just don't get it. When we tell them we don't have any eggs they kind of get upset, like we are holdin back or something. Chickens need to rest too. Their conserving energy and getting their machinery (read body) tuned up for the winter thats a comin.
I was talkin to buddy of mine up in Churchill. He is the fella who sends me down artic char(best tasting fish in the world). Now, that is up North. If you are interested to know where it is, look up to the very northern part of Manitoba on the Hudson Bay coast. Now them cats have been into winter for some time now. We will get -40 for a couple of weeks, they will get it for 4 months staight. Ya want to know what their biggest problem is right now. It is not the cold. It's polar bears. Yep, polar bears come to the coast of the Hudson Bay but can't get out onto the ice flow because it hasn't formed yet. So, what do they do, they come into town and are lookin for food. Food to them is garbage, dogs, cats, people. Their main diet is seals but they can't get any untill the ice forms and they can get out on the ice. The polar bears are the life and death of Churchill. They are extremely dangerous but they are also very useful. They have become a tourist attraction. People come from all over the world to see the polar bears.
How about a joke.
A goodolboy, down on his luck, went into a church which catered to the "uppity". Spotting the man's dirty work clothes a deacon, worried about the churches image, went to the man and asked him if he needed help. The man said, "I was praying and the Lord told me to come to this church."
The deacon suggested that the man go pray some more and possibly he might get a different answer. The next Sunday the man returned. The deacon asked, "Did you get a different answer?"
The man replied, "Yes I did. I told the Lord that they don't want me in that church and the Lord said, 'Don't worry about it son; I've been trying to get into that church for years and they won't let me in either."
I am thinkin that this may be more of a life lesson than a joke. Anyway, have a good night and we will talk to ya all real soon.
The flu bug is going through our home like wild fire. Both daughter were home sick today but seem to be on the mend and should be back to normal tomorrow (well, as normal as they get anyway).
As I read other peoples blogs it is interesting to see how people view the next 4 or 5 coming months. In my part of the world, people who live like we do (in the country, on a farm) are preparing or have prepared for the worst. This involves making sure all your machinery (cars, trucks, snowblowers, tractors, loaders etc.) are in top shape and well maintained, heaters have been installed in water tanks, furnaces are in top shape, supply of wood is available, supply of emergency food is available and animals have put on a layer of fat that will sustain them if or should I say when we get 3 weeks of -40. Yes, -40 and large amounts of snow are coming as sure as the sun will rise in the east and set in the west. Am I ready? Na, I'm never ready. There is always one more thing to do and when it (winter) hits, one more thing I should have done and didn't get done. Every year is the same. So here I sit waitin for it to come. When will it hit. Forecast is for cooler weather but no real winter for the next few days anyway.
Chickens know it's comin. Only got 10 eggs today. 10 eggs and a bunch of customers that require 10 dozen a day to meet their needs. Some of our customers undrstand but some just don't get it. When we tell them we don't have any eggs they kind of get upset, like we are holdin back or something. Chickens need to rest too. Their conserving energy and getting their machinery (read body) tuned up for the winter thats a comin.
I was talkin to buddy of mine up in Churchill. He is the fella who sends me down artic char(best tasting fish in the world). Now, that is up North. If you are interested to know where it is, look up to the very northern part of Manitoba on the Hudson Bay coast. Now them cats have been into winter for some time now. We will get -40 for a couple of weeks, they will get it for 4 months staight. Ya want to know what their biggest problem is right now. It is not the cold. It's polar bears. Yep, polar bears come to the coast of the Hudson Bay but can't get out onto the ice flow because it hasn't formed yet. So, what do they do, they come into town and are lookin for food. Food to them is garbage, dogs, cats, people. Their main diet is seals but they can't get any untill the ice forms and they can get out on the ice. The polar bears are the life and death of Churchill. They are extremely dangerous but they are also very useful. They have become a tourist attraction. People come from all over the world to see the polar bears.
How about a joke.
A goodolboy, down on his luck, went into a church which catered to the "uppity". Spotting the man's dirty work clothes a deacon, worried about the churches image, went to the man and asked him if he needed help. The man said, "I was praying and the Lord told me to come to this church."
The deacon suggested that the man go pray some more and possibly he might get a different answer. The next Sunday the man returned. The deacon asked, "Did you get a different answer?"
The man replied, "Yes I did. I told the Lord that they don't want me in that church and the Lord said, 'Don't worry about it son; I've been trying to get into that church for years and they won't let me in either."
I am thinkin that this may be more of a life lesson than a joke. Anyway, have a good night and we will talk to ya all real soon.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
November 10, 2007
How ya all doin. I am doing great, any better and I'd be suspicious. The good Lord has givin me another day to complete some work before winter. I have been askin him for another day, and another day, and another day of decent weather for the last couple of weeks and he just keeps handin them too me.
It is our turn to do soup in our little barn church tomorrow. Every Sunday after our service we all set down and have a bowl of soup together and visit. It has become the highlight of my week. Anyway, it is our turn to do the soup so there is this big pot of chicken soup on the stove and man, does it smell good. That little barn church has sure become sumthin special to our family. I thank my maker every day that he showed us the way there. The church is in our Pastors yard and is on the banks of the Cooks Creek. Now, let me tell ya on Sunday morning at 10 oclock we start. We ain't big, but the singin and music that is comin out of that little barn is second to none. I alway picture someone comin down the creek in a canoe and as they approach the church they hear us a singin and praisin the good Lord. Man, that would leave a lump in your throat for sure.
My son is under the weather some. On Thursday I got a call from my wife that he was sicker than old Joe Coots dog. So at lunch time I picked him up and brought him home. Friday he was fine but then it started again on Friday night. He is still under the weather but seems to be on the mend. Hopefully he will back in the saddle tomorrow. He is a tough little fella and not too much will get him down but this flu bug has knocked him on his butt.
Ya all got a favorite passage in the bible. I do. I found it a couple of weeks ago and I bet I have read it over three dozen times. When I first found it I thought it was written special for me. Ya want to know what it is?
"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you. So that your daily life will win the respect of outsiders and so you will not be dependant on anyone."
1st Thessalonians, Chapter 4 verse 11 & 12. Man, that says it all. That is what I try to do. That is what I want to do everyday. If I can go to my maker and they say he led a quiet life and minded his own business and didn't depend on anyone. In my mind, I will have been a success.
How about a joke. I'm a hillbilly redneck rascal so I'll tell ya one that hits close to home.
Ya might be a Redneck if;
Ya all come back from the dump with more than you took.
Ya, me and my daughter went to the dump this morning and we came back with more than we took. Came back with a truck load of cinder blocks. Why would anyone throw away good cinder blocks.
Well, Ya all take er easy or anyway ya can. Talk to ya all soon.
It is our turn to do soup in our little barn church tomorrow. Every Sunday after our service we all set down and have a bowl of soup together and visit. It has become the highlight of my week. Anyway, it is our turn to do the soup so there is this big pot of chicken soup on the stove and man, does it smell good. That little barn church has sure become sumthin special to our family. I thank my maker every day that he showed us the way there. The church is in our Pastors yard and is on the banks of the Cooks Creek. Now, let me tell ya on Sunday morning at 10 oclock we start. We ain't big, but the singin and music that is comin out of that little barn is second to none. I alway picture someone comin down the creek in a canoe and as they approach the church they hear us a singin and praisin the good Lord. Man, that would leave a lump in your throat for sure.
My son is under the weather some. On Thursday I got a call from my wife that he was sicker than old Joe Coots dog. So at lunch time I picked him up and brought him home. Friday he was fine but then it started again on Friday night. He is still under the weather but seems to be on the mend. Hopefully he will back in the saddle tomorrow. He is a tough little fella and not too much will get him down but this flu bug has knocked him on his butt.
Ya all got a favorite passage in the bible. I do. I found it a couple of weeks ago and I bet I have read it over three dozen times. When I first found it I thought it was written special for me. Ya want to know what it is?
"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you. So that your daily life will win the respect of outsiders and so you will not be dependant on anyone."
1st Thessalonians, Chapter 4 verse 11 & 12. Man, that says it all. That is what I try to do. That is what I want to do everyday. If I can go to my maker and they say he led a quiet life and minded his own business and didn't depend on anyone. In my mind, I will have been a success.
How about a joke. I'm a hillbilly redneck rascal so I'll tell ya one that hits close to home.
Ya might be a Redneck if;
Ya all come back from the dump with more than you took.
Ya, me and my daughter went to the dump this morning and we came back with more than we took. Came back with a truck load of cinder blocks. Why would anyone throw away good cinder blocks.
Well, Ya all take er easy or anyway ya can. Talk to ya all soon.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
October 30, 2007
Hello all. I’m going to try something new. My attempt to blog on a regular basis has been a sad failure. I have real good intentions but truth of the matter is I don’t have the time. So, I’m going to try and do some short blogs and try and get more consistent with my blogs. If this don’t work I am going to pack it in. So here goes a short blog.
As I mentioned above, life is real busy. Everyone is working or in school. Oldest daughter is in university and is enjoying it big time. I’m still fixing vehicles and making a somewhat poor attempt at farmin. Wife is feedin the yung-uns in the high school’s chew and choke (she works in the school cafeteria). And my 2 youngest are in school. Everyone is in real good health. Life couldn’t get much better.
A couple of weeks ago I went out and bought an old snowmobile for the kids. A friend of a friend had this old machine and wanted $500 for it. The Mrs. and I got up early Saturday morning and headed off to take a look. We bought it and threw it in the back of the truck. Well, we didn’t actually throw it. It was more like heave and drag it into the truck but we got it in there. Brought it home and ya should of seen those two yung-uns faces. Ya would of thought I bought them a new machine that cost 10 grand. Man, are they excited. Now they are waitin for the snow. It doesn’t run too well but I’ll get er workin before the snow flies and the kids will have a blast with it.
We got all our chickens butchered and sold. We finished up in late Sept. The year did not go as good as last. Poor weather, predators (Mr. weasel and Mr., coyote), stupid mistakes (from yours truly) and poor feed quality took its toll. We had a much better year last year. On the positive side I now know what doesn’t work and will adjust next years technique to increase profits. On a side note the new chicken plucker worked flawlessly. My son and I could easily kill and pluck chickens faster than the three ladies could eviscerate them. Every once in a while something works out for me.
Now for a joke.
The two brothers were sittin in the lawyer’s waiting room waiting for their Dad’s will to be read. An argument started as to which of them was the favorite son and it was getting into full flow when they were invited into the office.
After a few preliminaries including the disposal of a few small items to the cousins and old friends the important bit came - who would inherit the farm.
The lawyer took a deep breath, looked at the oldest brother and said "Well John, the farm is yours". John turned to his brother, "see" he said, " I told you were the favorite"
Hope to talk to ya all real soon.
As I mentioned above, life is real busy. Everyone is working or in school. Oldest daughter is in university and is enjoying it big time. I’m still fixing vehicles and making a somewhat poor attempt at farmin. Wife is feedin the yung-uns in the high school’s chew and choke (she works in the school cafeteria). And my 2 youngest are in school. Everyone is in real good health. Life couldn’t get much better.
A couple of weeks ago I went out and bought an old snowmobile for the kids. A friend of a friend had this old machine and wanted $500 for it. The Mrs. and I got up early Saturday morning and headed off to take a look. We bought it and threw it in the back of the truck. Well, we didn’t actually throw it. It was more like heave and drag it into the truck but we got it in there. Brought it home and ya should of seen those two yung-uns faces. Ya would of thought I bought them a new machine that cost 10 grand. Man, are they excited. Now they are waitin for the snow. It doesn’t run too well but I’ll get er workin before the snow flies and the kids will have a blast with it.
We got all our chickens butchered and sold. We finished up in late Sept. The year did not go as good as last. Poor weather, predators (Mr. weasel and Mr., coyote), stupid mistakes (from yours truly) and poor feed quality took its toll. We had a much better year last year. On the positive side I now know what doesn’t work and will adjust next years technique to increase profits. On a side note the new chicken plucker worked flawlessly. My son and I could easily kill and pluck chickens faster than the three ladies could eviscerate them. Every once in a while something works out for me.
Now for a joke.
The two brothers were sittin in the lawyer’s waiting room waiting for their Dad’s will to be read. An argument started as to which of them was the favorite son and it was getting into full flow when they were invited into the office.
After a few preliminaries including the disposal of a few small items to the cousins and old friends the important bit came - who would inherit the farm.
The lawyer took a deep breath, looked at the oldest brother and said "Well John, the farm is yours". John turned to his brother, "see" he said, " I told you were the favorite"
Hope to talk to ya all real soon.
Monday, August 20, 2007
August 20, 2007 Hey! I'm Back
It has been many months since my last blog. What can I say. Life has been very busy (too busy) so ya start to prioritize what ya do. The have to get dones get all your attention and things that are just fun (like blogging) get pushed off to the side. Anyway, that is why it has been so long since my last blog. I have been a bit selfish since I have been droppin by all my favorite blogs and enjoyin their blogs but have not contributed anything myself. Well enough of that .
The spring and summer have been a whirl wind of activity. Our spring was a disaster. Rain, rain and more rain. More water than I have ever seen come from the sky. Crops, gardens and animals all suffered from the constant rain that went on for weeks. The rains were all torants. 1 to 3 inches at a time. That is actually another reason I quiet blogging. I was feelin lower than a snakes belly in a tire rut with the way the weather was. I know. Ya got to give the situation to the Lord and take what he gives ya but I was still down. The winters are long and hard up here. I really look forward to Spring and Summer and when ya get hit like we all did it really took the fight out of me. Anyway, we got through it and moved into a nice summer. Then the deal was to play catch up. That is still goin on around here. The weather has been good and I sure don't mind the work (especialy workin outside). So here I am workin like a dog (not sure where that sayin came from, dogs don't work too hard, actually they got it real easy) tryin to get stuff done before the winter comes back at us.
My oldest daughter is heading to university this fall. She has been workin at a dairy farm all summer. The hours are long but she says the work is interesting and not real hard. The best part is the people she works for and with are good people. The other great thing is they let her take fresh milk home. This is the first time I have tasted fresh milk and, well lets just say I have put on a few pounds. That usually doesn't happen in the summer. She is finished there in a couple of weeks and will be startin school. Not sure if we can go back to the store bought stuff. Sure won't be the same. Almost tempted to try and talk her into forgettin school and keep on workin just so we can get the milk. The other thing she keeps haulin home from work is kittens.
I never used to be a cat lover. In fact I hated cats but these are different. They are barn cats. They have dignity and work for their keep. There is a little pure black one that I have kind of taken for mine. I named him Dirt. I think he is goin to be the new shop cat. He'll keep the mice out of the shop.
We had some nasty winds and rain go through here last week. Lots of trees down (big trees) and a barn down the road collapsed. No damage at our place except we lost 7 chickens. Me and wife were talkin about the crazy weather everywhere. Back when I was a yung-un we would get storms but it would be once a year or maybe even every couple of years. Now it is happenin once a month, sometimes more. Why? Wife and I have a theory. I suspect God is given us a warnin. I think he is sayin ya all better mend your ways or I am goin to have to do somethin about it. He is tellin us he ain't happy with what is goin on in this world and he ain't goin to allow it to continue. Think back to Noah. I know things were a mess back then and God took action. I would suspect our world is in about the same shape as things back then (maybe worse). Anyone agree? Just a thought. I'm always tryin to figure out things and this is what I come up with on the weather deal.
How about I sign off with one of my infamous jokes.
A Pastor told his congregation, "Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17." The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had read Mark 17. Every hand went up. The minister smiled and said, "Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying."
Take er easy. Talk to ya all real soon.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Got em all workin, Meet the Sinclairs
My youngest daughter servicin a lawn tractor. She works for a couple down the road cuttin grass and doin yard chores. The fella who she works for mentioned he needed to get his lawn tractor serviced so she took on the job and with dad's help she'll get er done. I think she is makin a parts list in the picture.
This is what little brothers and big sisters do in the country. I finnally had to tell him to put it away. Got tired of listening to "Dad, He"s is squirtin me again!
Oldest daughter puttin a salt lick holder in the horse shelter. She cut everything out with a hand saw. Cuts are real straight and square too. Did way better than I could off. Offered her the power cutoff saw but she said no thanks, I'm ok.
This is my son. He was paintin that wash tub stand behind him. He has no paint on him because I make him wear coveralls and rubber gloves. You should see his coveralls.
My lovely wife letterin Eggs For Sale signs (which we are gettin over run with, not the signs, the eggs). Anyone want to buy some Farm Fresh Brown Eggs?
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
April 24, 2007
Well here it is getting onto the end of April and I have not posted on the old blog in a good long time. I would like to say it is because I am so busy but it is more like I am so lazy. Actually life has been busy and full around our home. What has been happening?
My son turned 10 last week. We celebrated by havin a nice supper and he came with the wife and I to a poultry seminar (which he fell asleep at but only after he filled up on donuts and juice).
We had a great Easter. It was celebrated with family and our new church. Speaking of which our family is enjoyin allot. Maybe I will talk a little more about it later in this post.
Oldest daughter is beatin the bushes lookin for a summer job. No luck yet but she has a couple of interviews this weekend.
Been servicin equipment, getting ready for the season.
Taxes are all done and sent in.
Flu bug went through our house like wild fire. Everyone but yours truly caught it. It was a nasty one.
Oldest daughter made her first big purchase ever. Bought a new (used) computer last Saturday. Man was she excited. She bought it from a local store (good people). I’m glad and proud of her for doin that. She didn’t go to the big box stores. She thought of it but decided to spend her money in the community. Good for her.
Things have/are dryin up pretty nice around here. The odd pile of snow in the bush still. No one is plantin anything yet though. I know some of our neighbors to the south are plantin already but up here in Canada we can get heavy frost well into May (and usually do). That is about all the news form here.
My son is out workin tonight. Its beer can season. When the snow goes and the water in the ditches start to dry up a young fella can make a small fortune collectin beer cans. He gets a big bag and his bike and he works his way down the roads makin his fortune. He gets 10 cents each for them. He collects pop cans too but ya only make about 50 cents a pound for them. Its good honest work and he cleans up some trash to boot.
I want to talk about somethin that I learned in Church last Sunday. I am not sure I learned it or if I always knew it and hadn’t come to terms with it. As I had mentioned earlier we have started attendin a local church in the area. People are real nice and have made my family feel so welcome. The atmosphere is a little different than we are used to. Very relaxed, no formalities, no stained glass, no big fancy doors, tons of young people, ya all get the picture. The Pastor, I’ll call him Pastor Norm (because that is his name) and his family put this deal together 4 ½ years ago. They have been in various locations over those 4+ years but have ended up on the Pastor’s land in a barn on the banks of Cooks Creek. I don’t think Jesus himself could have come up with a prettier setting. Come to think of it, he did come up with the setting. What was I thinking? The barn has been renovated somewhat to accommodate a bunch of good ol country people a place to worship Jesus, praise the Lord and have fellowship. Last Sunday after church we stayed a spell to help clean up and when we came outside there were yung uns everywhere. Playin soccer, talking in little groups, playin on an old rope swing. I immediately thought of Little House on the Prairie. I’m sure I saw a scene like that in the shows many times. Anyway, that’s not what I want to talk on. I want to tell ya all what I learned. The Pastor preached a little on grace and peace. I want to talk about peace and what that word means to me (after last Sunday). Do ya all have peace? Maybe some other words for peace could be contentment, joy and satisfaction. How do ya measure if ya have peace in your life? There are many ways. How do ya sleep at night? Do you worry? Is your happiness or your joy based on material possessions, a vacation, your appearance (read attractiveness)? What crutch (money, drink, drugs, food, anger, temper, humor, purchasing) do ya use to get ya through a day? All of these things may be an indication as to where you are at in obtaining peace in your life. Don’t get me wrong. Most of the things mentioned above are not a problem as long as they don’t become a necessity in you finding value in your being. The problem comes when the peace (satisfaction, contentment, joy) you find in life depends on something (money, vacation, possessions, etc.) or when ya lay down at night and can’t sleep because your mind is obsessed with worry. Let’s take this one step further. What if we used a person’s peace to measure a person’s success? The more at peace you are the more successful you are. How could that be? Everyone knows success is measured in money, possessions, personal appearance, education and social status. I don’t think that should be the way success is measured. Peace would be an excellent way to measure success. Would you not agree a poor person that has true joy and real peace is more successful than a rich person who is obsessed and stressed with possessions and social status. I’m not sayin a rich person can’t be successful. I am sayin the rich person’s success has nothing to do with his money (at least that is how I see it). How content are ya? How much joy do ya feel and share. How satisfied are ya all? Wouldn’t that be a great way to measure success? This is getting pretty long so I won’t go into how to obtain the peace ya need to be successful. That will be for another post.
Lets lighten things up a bit. How about one of my bad jokes. Here goes.
A very enthusiastic soul-winning young preacher recently came upon a farmer working in his field. Being concerned about the farmer's soul the preacher asked the man, "Are you laboring in the vineyard of the Lord my good man?"
Not even looking at the preacher and continuing his work the farmer replied, "Naw, these are soybeans."
"You don't understand," said the preacher. "Are you a Christian?"
With the same amount of interest as his previous answer the farmer said, "Nope my name is Jones. You must be lookin for old Jim Christian. He lives a mile south of here."
The young determined preacher tried again asking the farmer, "Are you lost?"
"Naw! I've lived here all my life," answered the farmer.
"Are you prepared for the resurrection?" the frustrated preacher asked.
This caught the farmer's attention and he asked, "When's it gonna be?"
Thinking he had finnally got through to the farmer, the young preacher replied, "It could be today, tomorrow, or the next day." Taking a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiping his brow, the farmer remarked, "Well, don't mention it to the wife. She don't get out much and she'll wanna go all three days."
Ya all have a good day. Talk to soon.
My son turned 10 last week. We celebrated by havin a nice supper and he came with the wife and I to a poultry seminar (which he fell asleep at but only after he filled up on donuts and juice).
We had a great Easter. It was celebrated with family and our new church. Speaking of which our family is enjoyin allot. Maybe I will talk a little more about it later in this post.
Oldest daughter is beatin the bushes lookin for a summer job. No luck yet but she has a couple of interviews this weekend.
Been servicin equipment, getting ready for the season.
Taxes are all done and sent in.
Flu bug went through our house like wild fire. Everyone but yours truly caught it. It was a nasty one.
Oldest daughter made her first big purchase ever. Bought a new (used) computer last Saturday. Man was she excited. She bought it from a local store (good people). I’m glad and proud of her for doin that. She didn’t go to the big box stores. She thought of it but decided to spend her money in the community. Good for her.
Things have/are dryin up pretty nice around here. The odd pile of snow in the bush still. No one is plantin anything yet though. I know some of our neighbors to the south are plantin already but up here in Canada we can get heavy frost well into May (and usually do). That is about all the news form here.
My son is out workin tonight. Its beer can season. When the snow goes and the water in the ditches start to dry up a young fella can make a small fortune collectin beer cans. He gets a big bag and his bike and he works his way down the roads makin his fortune. He gets 10 cents each for them. He collects pop cans too but ya only make about 50 cents a pound for them. Its good honest work and he cleans up some trash to boot.
I want to talk about somethin that I learned in Church last Sunday. I am not sure I learned it or if I always knew it and hadn’t come to terms with it. As I had mentioned earlier we have started attendin a local church in the area. People are real nice and have made my family feel so welcome. The atmosphere is a little different than we are used to. Very relaxed, no formalities, no stained glass, no big fancy doors, tons of young people, ya all get the picture. The Pastor, I’ll call him Pastor Norm (because that is his name) and his family put this deal together 4 ½ years ago. They have been in various locations over those 4+ years but have ended up on the Pastor’s land in a barn on the banks of Cooks Creek. I don’t think Jesus himself could have come up with a prettier setting. Come to think of it, he did come up with the setting. What was I thinking? The barn has been renovated somewhat to accommodate a bunch of good ol country people a place to worship Jesus, praise the Lord and have fellowship. Last Sunday after church we stayed a spell to help clean up and when we came outside there were yung uns everywhere. Playin soccer, talking in little groups, playin on an old rope swing. I immediately thought of Little House on the Prairie. I’m sure I saw a scene like that in the shows many times. Anyway, that’s not what I want to talk on. I want to tell ya all what I learned. The Pastor preached a little on grace and peace. I want to talk about peace and what that word means to me (after last Sunday). Do ya all have peace? Maybe some other words for peace could be contentment, joy and satisfaction. How do ya measure if ya have peace in your life? There are many ways. How do ya sleep at night? Do you worry? Is your happiness or your joy based on material possessions, a vacation, your appearance (read attractiveness)? What crutch (money, drink, drugs, food, anger, temper, humor, purchasing) do ya use to get ya through a day? All of these things may be an indication as to where you are at in obtaining peace in your life. Don’t get me wrong. Most of the things mentioned above are not a problem as long as they don’t become a necessity in you finding value in your being. The problem comes when the peace (satisfaction, contentment, joy) you find in life depends on something (money, vacation, possessions, etc.) or when ya lay down at night and can’t sleep because your mind is obsessed with worry. Let’s take this one step further. What if we used a person’s peace to measure a person’s success? The more at peace you are the more successful you are. How could that be? Everyone knows success is measured in money, possessions, personal appearance, education and social status. I don’t think that should be the way success is measured. Peace would be an excellent way to measure success. Would you not agree a poor person that has true joy and real peace is more successful than a rich person who is obsessed and stressed with possessions and social status. I’m not sayin a rich person can’t be successful. I am sayin the rich person’s success has nothing to do with his money (at least that is how I see it). How content are ya? How much joy do ya feel and share. How satisfied are ya all? Wouldn’t that be a great way to measure success? This is getting pretty long so I won’t go into how to obtain the peace ya need to be successful. That will be for another post.
Lets lighten things up a bit. How about one of my bad jokes. Here goes.
A very enthusiastic soul-winning young preacher recently came upon a farmer working in his field. Being concerned about the farmer's soul the preacher asked the man, "Are you laboring in the vineyard of the Lord my good man?"
Not even looking at the preacher and continuing his work the farmer replied, "Naw, these are soybeans."
"You don't understand," said the preacher. "Are you a Christian?"
With the same amount of interest as his previous answer the farmer said, "Nope my name is Jones. You must be lookin for old Jim Christian. He lives a mile south of here."
The young determined preacher tried again asking the farmer, "Are you lost?"
"Naw! I've lived here all my life," answered the farmer.
"Are you prepared for the resurrection?" the frustrated preacher asked.
This caught the farmer's attention and he asked, "When's it gonna be?"
Thinking he had finnally got through to the farmer, the young preacher replied, "It could be today, tomorrow, or the next day." Taking a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiping his brow, the farmer remarked, "Well, don't mention it to the wife. She don't get out much and she'll wanna go all three days."
Ya all have a good day. Talk to soon.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
April 1, 2007 Last Post
This will be my last blog, Some people have made some comments on my abilities with the english language, the inappropriate jokes and the useless content in my blog. I do not want to offend anyone. When I started this blog it was too be all in fun. If I have hurt anyone's feelings or I have offended anyone I am truly sorry. So for old time sake, one more post.
Cold wet snow comin down here in Cooks Creek. And to make matters worse it is stayin around. The barometer is droppin so this weather is goin to get worse before it gets better. Such is life in Cooks Creek.
On the bright side I bought a new wheelbarrow yesterday. They were on sale at the hardware store for ½ price so I picked one up yesterday morning. Now this puts me in a whole new league. We are a two-wheelbarrow farm now. Now some folks would get and uppity and snooty when they owned two wheelbarrows. Kind of look down on the families that only has one wheelbarrow. Not me. This ain’t goin to change me one bit. I know where I came from. I know my roots. I was a one wheelbarrow farm for a good many years so I know how that feels. I’m still the same goodolboy I was when I only had one wheelbarrow. Still as down to earth as I ever was. Still as country as a lump of dirt. No sir. The fame that comes with owning two wheelbarrows will not go to my head.
On the subject of that wheelbarrow. Did you know when ya buy a new 2007 deluxe state of the art wheelbarrow it comes in pieces and ya all have to put it together yourself? I picked up my new wheelbarrow yesterday morning or should I say the parts to my new wheelbarrow. Brought it home and took all the parts and pieces into the shop. I had to go out again so my son (age 9) asks if he can put it together. I say, “sure son”. Ya all know where the tools are. Knock yourself out and have fun. Off I went not expectin him to get the thing together and fully expected him give up tryin in a short time. When I say the thing came in pieces I am not jokin. There was not one part of the thing that was assembled. Anyway to make a long story short I came home and he had it together and it was perfect. I was amazed and rather proud. I have seen grown men have difficulty assemblin some stuff like that. He even told me he had left all the bolts finger tight until I inspected it. Right on the money. Good job son and thanks to you one less job I have to do. I don’t think I give ya enough credit some times.
We had a neat experience this morning. We went to Church. Ya are all sayin “big deal, you and half the world went to church this mornin”. “What’s so neat about that”? Well we went to church in a barn. Yep, an old barn that has been converted into a church. It is called Willowdale Fellowship. Pastors name is Norm Neufeld. Pastor Neufeld has converted an old barn on his property into a church. We attended for the first time and it was the most enjoyable experience. No fancy stained glass windows or fancy pews. No suits and ties (which I really liked) or all the stuff that is associated with formal church. The church was full of yung-uns. My wife phoned Pastor Neufeld yesterday afternoon to ask about the church (they have a small blurb in the local paper). He said they are tryin to follow Jesus without the religion. I was not sure what that meant but I sure enjoyed myself this morning. Then after church we were invited to have a bowl of homemade soup (which was the best) and buns. We all met some very nice people that made us feel very welcome. What a great experience it was. Lookin forward to the next time. This deal is right here in Cooks Creek. Almost in our back yard. Who knew.
Time for one more joke, this one comes from my youngest daughter.
There was a man who came from the city wanting to start a chicken farm of his very own. He went a local hatchery to buy some chicks to start his farm. He went in and purchased 500 fine White Rocks chicks. The next week he came back to the hatchery and purchased 500 top quality Rhode Island Reds chicks. The following week it was 500 Cornish chicks and so on and so on for many weeks. Finally, the hatchery man could stand it no longer and said, "Wow you must be starting a huge poultry farm with all of these chicks!" "Not so big really, "said the city slicker, "I'm just having a little trouble with this first crop. I can't tell if I'm planting them too deep or too close together."
I know they’re getting worse.
Keep your stick on the ice.
Oh Yea, April Fools, I'll be back. ;-)
Cold wet snow comin down here in Cooks Creek. And to make matters worse it is stayin around. The barometer is droppin so this weather is goin to get worse before it gets better. Such is life in Cooks Creek.
On the bright side I bought a new wheelbarrow yesterday. They were on sale at the hardware store for ½ price so I picked one up yesterday morning. Now this puts me in a whole new league. We are a two-wheelbarrow farm now. Now some folks would get and uppity and snooty when they owned two wheelbarrows. Kind of look down on the families that only has one wheelbarrow. Not me. This ain’t goin to change me one bit. I know where I came from. I know my roots. I was a one wheelbarrow farm for a good many years so I know how that feels. I’m still the same goodolboy I was when I only had one wheelbarrow. Still as down to earth as I ever was. Still as country as a lump of dirt. No sir. The fame that comes with owning two wheelbarrows will not go to my head.
On the subject of that wheelbarrow. Did you know when ya buy a new 2007 deluxe state of the art wheelbarrow it comes in pieces and ya all have to put it together yourself? I picked up my new wheelbarrow yesterday morning or should I say the parts to my new wheelbarrow. Brought it home and took all the parts and pieces into the shop. I had to go out again so my son (age 9) asks if he can put it together. I say, “sure son”. Ya all know where the tools are. Knock yourself out and have fun. Off I went not expectin him to get the thing together and fully expected him give up tryin in a short time. When I say the thing came in pieces I am not jokin. There was not one part of the thing that was assembled. Anyway to make a long story short I came home and he had it together and it was perfect. I was amazed and rather proud. I have seen grown men have difficulty assemblin some stuff like that. He even told me he had left all the bolts finger tight until I inspected it. Right on the money. Good job son and thanks to you one less job I have to do. I don’t think I give ya enough credit some times.
We had a neat experience this morning. We went to Church. Ya are all sayin “big deal, you and half the world went to church this mornin”. “What’s so neat about that”? Well we went to church in a barn. Yep, an old barn that has been converted into a church. It is called Willowdale Fellowship. Pastors name is Norm Neufeld. Pastor Neufeld has converted an old barn on his property into a church. We attended for the first time and it was the most enjoyable experience. No fancy stained glass windows or fancy pews. No suits and ties (which I really liked) or all the stuff that is associated with formal church. The church was full of yung-uns. My wife phoned Pastor Neufeld yesterday afternoon to ask about the church (they have a small blurb in the local paper). He said they are tryin to follow Jesus without the religion. I was not sure what that meant but I sure enjoyed myself this morning. Then after church we were invited to have a bowl of homemade soup (which was the best) and buns. We all met some very nice people that made us feel very welcome. What a great experience it was. Lookin forward to the next time. This deal is right here in Cooks Creek. Almost in our back yard. Who knew.
Time for one more joke, this one comes from my youngest daughter.
There was a man who came from the city wanting to start a chicken farm of his very own. He went a local hatchery to buy some chicks to start his farm. He went in and purchased 500 fine White Rocks chicks. The next week he came back to the hatchery and purchased 500 top quality Rhode Island Reds chicks. The following week it was 500 Cornish chicks and so on and so on for many weeks. Finally, the hatchery man could stand it no longer and said, "Wow you must be starting a huge poultry farm with all of these chicks!" "Not so big really, "said the city slicker, "I'm just having a little trouble with this first crop. I can't tell if I'm planting them too deep or too close together."
I know they’re getting worse.
Keep your stick on the ice.
Oh Yea, April Fools, I'll be back. ;-)
Thursday, March 29, 2007
March 29, 2007
March 29, 2007 in Cooks Creek. Well, by my definition in a previous post it is apparent spring has arrived in Canada. Or at least in my part of Canada. The geese are back. There are literally millions of them everywhere. They have come this far and have hunkered down waitin for the water on the lakes to open up so they can continue their journey north to their nesting grounds. With that said, it sure don’t feel like spring today. Cold wet snow and a strong wind out of the north makes ya move a little faster than usual when ya are outside. Temperature is around the freezin point but the wind makes it feel a lot colder.
As far as water goes it is not too bad. No floodin that I can see or have heard of yet. The municipal ditches are all open and flowin fast. The municipality has done a fine job of getting everything opened up this year. Normally my fields are half under water by this time but not this year. Or at least not yet. A couple weeks of rain can turn things bad in a heartbeat.
The chickens seem to be well on the mend. I believe they did have cocsiliosis (sp?). I hit them with an antibiotic and the improvement was fast. They are still on the antibiotic and will be for a couple of weeks yet. The antibiotic is Amprol and is mixed with their water. It is expensive but is the only cure. The result for not usin the antibiotic is ya loose your flock. I have to clean and lime the coop but need the weather to turn better so I can get them out of there. All together I think I lost about 15 hens. That in itself is not good but I have learned from it and know what to watch for the next time. Symptoms for this disease (which is a parasite in the chickens intestine) are; early stages = feathers are wet, blood in their manure and on the eggs, off their food, quiet (no clucking) later stages = all the above plus bad diarrhea (no solids, just water), wings start to droop, won’t eat at all, pale combs and around the eyes (go from red to a yellow), no interest in anything (just sit or perch). No fun watchin animals die. Was getting so I hated to go into the barn because I knew what I would find. The joys of farmin heh?
My next fun project around here is shovelin manure. Between the chickens and horses there is a lot of it and it all has to be cleaned up and piled. Can’t really expand on that much more.
The chicken plucker is a hair away from completion. Just need to do the pulley system yet. Have to purchase the motor and idler pulleys and it will be ready to pluck. Hope it works. Can’t see why it won’t. Everyone elses works and I built it as the plan directed.
My other project was the round bale picker. I needed to arc weld it together. The mig will not give the penetration required to weld the heavy steel the picker is made of. I don’t like to arc weld in the shop because I don’t have an exhaust fan (at least not yet). The smoke and fumes are bad after ya weld for a spell. We had some nice days earlier this week so I welded most of it up outside. I ended up makin the bale spear out of 2 old truck axles. Think it will work fine.
My oldest daughter is goin to be graduating this June. She plans on goin to university and goin into veterinary medicine. She has a big ol soft heart and we got to talkin about puttin animals down. I asked her it she thinks she could do the deed. She got real quiet and didn’t answer either way. Well, she went over to the vets in town and asked if she could volunteer her services. It is our spring school break here and she has been going to the clinic everyday this week to help out. She helped put a dog down yesterday. It went pretty well and although she did not like it (who would) she said she didn’t cry. Today they did another one and she said it gets easier. She sat in on a couple of operations today also. She is sure enjoyin the experience.
Lets liten things up here a bit, time for a red neck joke,
Two hillbillys meet on a dusty country road. Guy (goodolboy) is carrying a big bag labeled, "chickens."
"Chickens, eh?" says the other hillbilly. "Hey, if I guess how many chickens you got, will you give me one?"
"Heck, " says Guy who has the bag, "iffin you guess right, I'll give you both of 'em."
The other hillbilly scratches his head and guesses, "Um... five?"
Ya got to like that one.
Well, take er easy, Hopefully the weather will get back to bein warm here. Talk to ya all soon.
As far as water goes it is not too bad. No floodin that I can see or have heard of yet. The municipal ditches are all open and flowin fast. The municipality has done a fine job of getting everything opened up this year. Normally my fields are half under water by this time but not this year. Or at least not yet. A couple weeks of rain can turn things bad in a heartbeat.
The chickens seem to be well on the mend. I believe they did have cocsiliosis (sp?). I hit them with an antibiotic and the improvement was fast. They are still on the antibiotic and will be for a couple of weeks yet. The antibiotic is Amprol and is mixed with their water. It is expensive but is the only cure. The result for not usin the antibiotic is ya loose your flock. I have to clean and lime the coop but need the weather to turn better so I can get them out of there. All together I think I lost about 15 hens. That in itself is not good but I have learned from it and know what to watch for the next time. Symptoms for this disease (which is a parasite in the chickens intestine) are; early stages = feathers are wet, blood in their manure and on the eggs, off their food, quiet (no clucking) later stages = all the above plus bad diarrhea (no solids, just water), wings start to droop, won’t eat at all, pale combs and around the eyes (go from red to a yellow), no interest in anything (just sit or perch). No fun watchin animals die. Was getting so I hated to go into the barn because I knew what I would find. The joys of farmin heh?
My next fun project around here is shovelin manure. Between the chickens and horses there is a lot of it and it all has to be cleaned up and piled. Can’t really expand on that much more.
The chicken plucker is a hair away from completion. Just need to do the pulley system yet. Have to purchase the motor and idler pulleys and it will be ready to pluck. Hope it works. Can’t see why it won’t. Everyone elses works and I built it as the plan directed.
My other project was the round bale picker. I needed to arc weld it together. The mig will not give the penetration required to weld the heavy steel the picker is made of. I don’t like to arc weld in the shop because I don’t have an exhaust fan (at least not yet). The smoke and fumes are bad after ya weld for a spell. We had some nice days earlier this week so I welded most of it up outside. I ended up makin the bale spear out of 2 old truck axles. Think it will work fine.
My oldest daughter is goin to be graduating this June. She plans on goin to university and goin into veterinary medicine. She has a big ol soft heart and we got to talkin about puttin animals down. I asked her it she thinks she could do the deed. She got real quiet and didn’t answer either way. Well, she went over to the vets in town and asked if she could volunteer her services. It is our spring school break here and she has been going to the clinic everyday this week to help out. She helped put a dog down yesterday. It went pretty well and although she did not like it (who would) she said she didn’t cry. Today they did another one and she said it gets easier. She sat in on a couple of operations today also. She is sure enjoyin the experience.
Lets liten things up here a bit, time for a red neck joke,
Two hillbillys meet on a dusty country road. Guy (goodolboy) is carrying a big bag labeled, "chickens."
"Chickens, eh?" says the other hillbilly. "Hey, if I guess how many chickens you got, will you give me one?"
"Heck, " says Guy who has the bag, "iffin you guess right, I'll give you both of 'em."
The other hillbilly scratches his head and guesses, "Um... five?"
Ya got to like that one.
Well, take er easy, Hopefully the weather will get back to bein warm here. Talk to ya all soon.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
March 18, 2007
What a lazy day. Wet snow and sometimes rain here in Cooks Creek. Temperature is in around the freezin mark. Not much goin on except sitting around readin and enjoyin each other’s company and waitin for supper. House is full of supper cookin smell. Roast chicken, one of our own broilers we raised last year. Big fella. As big as a small turkey. Then gingerbread and whipped cream for desert. Whole family will sit down for supper together. It ain’t goin to get any better than that in my book. This is what I work for, what I strive for. This is what the good life means to me. If I were offered this or a billion dollars I would take this in a heartbeat. Wouldn’t even have to think about it.
The wife and I are readin a book called Better Off. It is about a young couple who went to live in an Amish Community. At least I think they were Amish. They call them Minimites (to protect their identity). If they are not Amish their life style parallels the old Amish ways. We spent the afternoon readin and takin it easy. Actually the wife did the readin and I listened. Very enjoyable way to spend a dreary wet almost spring day. Officially spring comes next week. Looks like we will still have a good snow pack when it does arrive. We would have to get some real warm weather for this amount of snow to disappear before the end of the week. If it did go that fast we would have some major floodin. No, lets hope it goes slow and easy. People don’t need the hassle but then again it ain’t for me to determine.
Back to work tomorrow. I was on vacation for the last week lookin after my youngest daughter. She is doin great and almost back to her old self after the operation. She will be back to school tomorrow too. Suppose she will have some major catchin up to do.
I will end this deal with a ya might be a red neck joke. Because I am such a hick people tell me these jokes all the time so here goes.
If your wife has to get ya to remove the transmission parts from the tub so she can take a bath, ya might be a red neck.
Actually that one hit pretty close to home.
Talk to ya all real soon.
The wife and I are readin a book called Better Off. It is about a young couple who went to live in an Amish Community. At least I think they were Amish. They call them Minimites (to protect their identity). If they are not Amish their life style parallels the old Amish ways. We spent the afternoon readin and takin it easy. Actually the wife did the readin and I listened. Very enjoyable way to spend a dreary wet almost spring day. Officially spring comes next week. Looks like we will still have a good snow pack when it does arrive. We would have to get some real warm weather for this amount of snow to disappear before the end of the week. If it did go that fast we would have some major floodin. No, lets hope it goes slow and easy. People don’t need the hassle but then again it ain’t for me to determine.
Back to work tomorrow. I was on vacation for the last week lookin after my youngest daughter. She is doin great and almost back to her old self after the operation. She will be back to school tomorrow too. Suppose she will have some major catchin up to do.
I will end this deal with a ya might be a red neck joke. Because I am such a hick people tell me these jokes all the time so here goes.
If your wife has to get ya to remove the transmission parts from the tub so she can take a bath, ya might be a red neck.
Actually that one hit pretty close to home.
Talk to ya all real soon.
Friday, March 16, 2007
March 16, 2007
I told ya. Winter is not done with us yet. Cooks Creek has been cold for the last few days. Snow ain’t meltin and in fact it is snowin as I type this. Not hard. Just flutterin down, light like. Don’t think we will get any amount to speak of.
Youngest daughter is mending from her tonsil operation and every day it gets a little better. She was even eatin some yesterday. Still home from school and asleep right now. She sounds real funny. Like a little squeaky mouse. But at least she is on the mend and expect she will be back to normal by next week.
Somethin has been a botherin me. Of course it is that time of year when we have to do our taxes and give a portion of our hard earned money to the government to squander away on some stupid social program. That is bad enough but that is not what has me riled up (it does but that ain’t what I am goin to go on about). The other night I was doin our taxes. There are three of us in this house that are required to file a tax return. My gorgeous wife (can’t hurt to butter her up a bit eh?), my oldest daughter, and yours truly. My wife and I are married (as we should be) and because of this we are penalized by not bein able to take advantage of certain tax credits and rebates. Because my wife and I committed to each other and got married (and have stayed married for 25 loooong years) our incomes are combined while doing certain calculations in the tax return process. If we were living common law, separated or divorced we would be allowed to separate our incomes and thus be eligible for certain credits and rebates (pay less taxes). My daughter is 18 years old. In Canada she is considered an adult. She works part time and earns an income. By law she is required to pay income tax. No problem. But because she is single and going to school and living at home she is not eligible for the Manitoba Tax Credit or a GST rebate. Get this. To qualify for these credits and rebates she would have to either be pregnant and single, a single mom, living common law with a partner (I noticed they did not specify gender) or married. What kind of message does this send the young uns of this country? Instead of stayin in school and studyin, my daughter should of hit the streets, shacked up with some guy and got pregnant. Our government would of rewarded her with hundreds of dollars in credits and rebates. Our Prime Minister is always talkin about family values and morals. I’m hearin it but I’m not seein it. Put your money where your mouth is. Give a kid a tax credit if they were workin and successfully completed their grade. Or a legally married couple a credit for bein married for 10 consecutive years (to the same person). Heck, A thing like that won’t cost them too much. Only about 2% of the population qualify. If/when I see those kind of things then I will believe Mr. Harper (Prime Minister) truly is serious about the moral fiber of this country. Allowin gays and lesbians married status when it is profitable and separate status when it is not has me questionin my country's direction as far as family values go.
Chickens are doin better but still not exactly right. They seem listless and off their food. Egg production is way off. Not sure what else to do. Watchin them real close and tryin to get clues on what is happenin. Life would sure be easier without critters but not as interestin or as much fun.
Toyin with the idea of getting another German Shepherd dog (just what we need more animals). A female. I have always wanted to breed Shepherds and just might start it this year. Problem is our money can’t keep up with our ideas. If I had a nickel for every crazy idea I came up with I would be a rich fella. Sometime the energy don’t keep up with the ideas either.
Hey, it has stopped snowin and the sun is tryin to come out. Maybe it will warm up some.
NEWS FLASH, I finally finished a book. Yesterday I completed At Natures Pace by Gene Logsdon. Pretty good book. Mr. Logsdon is also the author of the Contrary Farmer (which I am also readin). There are pieces in the two books that are duplicated (nothing too bad though). The info is dated (80s) but his concept and thought process is relevant today. My favorite part was the chapters on the Amish. These people fascinate me and I always find enjoyment when learnin about their culture.
Got a joke for ya all>
A six-year-old boy told his father he wanted to marry the little girl across the street. The father, being modern and well-schooled in handling children, hid his smile behind his hand.
'That's a serious step,' he said. 'Have you thought it out completely?'
'Yes,' his young son answered. 'We can spend one week in my room and the next in hers. It's right across the street, so I can run home if I get scared of the dark.'
'How about transportation?' the father asked.
'I have my wagon, and we both have our tricycles,' the little boy answered.
The boy had an answer to every question the father raised.
Finally, in exasperation, his dad asked, 'What about babies? When you're married, you're liable to have babies, you know.'
'We've thought about that, too,' the little boy replied. 'We're not going to have babies. Every time she lays an egg, I'm going to step on it!'
Want another one?
HOW TO CALL THE POLICE WHEN YOU'RE OLD AND DON'T MOVE FAST ANYMORE
George Phillips of Meridian, Mississippi was going up to bed when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window.
George opened the back door to go turn off the light but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things. He phoned the police who asked, 'Is someone in your house?' and he said 'No'. Then they said that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be along when available. George said, 'Okay,' hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again.
'Hello, I just called you a few second s ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I've just shot them all.' Then he hung up.
Within five minutes three police cars, an Armed Response unit, and an ambulance showed up at the Phillips' residence and caught the burglars red-handed.
One of the Policemen said to George: 'I thought you said that you'd shot them!' George said, 'I thought you said there was nobody available!'
(True Story) I LOVE IT
Well, Take er easy. Till next time. Maybe it will warmer the next time we talk.
Youngest daughter is mending from her tonsil operation and every day it gets a little better. She was even eatin some yesterday. Still home from school and asleep right now. She sounds real funny. Like a little squeaky mouse. But at least she is on the mend and expect she will be back to normal by next week.
Somethin has been a botherin me. Of course it is that time of year when we have to do our taxes and give a portion of our hard earned money to the government to squander away on some stupid social program. That is bad enough but that is not what has me riled up (it does but that ain’t what I am goin to go on about). The other night I was doin our taxes. There are three of us in this house that are required to file a tax return. My gorgeous wife (can’t hurt to butter her up a bit eh?), my oldest daughter, and yours truly. My wife and I are married (as we should be) and because of this we are penalized by not bein able to take advantage of certain tax credits and rebates. Because my wife and I committed to each other and got married (and have stayed married for 25 loooong years) our incomes are combined while doing certain calculations in the tax return process. If we were living common law, separated or divorced we would be allowed to separate our incomes and thus be eligible for certain credits and rebates (pay less taxes). My daughter is 18 years old. In Canada she is considered an adult. She works part time and earns an income. By law she is required to pay income tax. No problem. But because she is single and going to school and living at home she is not eligible for the Manitoba Tax Credit or a GST rebate. Get this. To qualify for these credits and rebates she would have to either be pregnant and single, a single mom, living common law with a partner (I noticed they did not specify gender) or married. What kind of message does this send the young uns of this country? Instead of stayin in school and studyin, my daughter should of hit the streets, shacked up with some guy and got pregnant. Our government would of rewarded her with hundreds of dollars in credits and rebates. Our Prime Minister is always talkin about family values and morals. I’m hearin it but I’m not seein it. Put your money where your mouth is. Give a kid a tax credit if they were workin and successfully completed their grade. Or a legally married couple a credit for bein married for 10 consecutive years (to the same person). Heck, A thing like that won’t cost them too much. Only about 2% of the population qualify. If/when I see those kind of things then I will believe Mr. Harper (Prime Minister) truly is serious about the moral fiber of this country. Allowin gays and lesbians married status when it is profitable and separate status when it is not has me questionin my country's direction as far as family values go.
Chickens are doin better but still not exactly right. They seem listless and off their food. Egg production is way off. Not sure what else to do. Watchin them real close and tryin to get clues on what is happenin. Life would sure be easier without critters but not as interestin or as much fun.
Toyin with the idea of getting another German Shepherd dog (just what we need more animals). A female. I have always wanted to breed Shepherds and just might start it this year. Problem is our money can’t keep up with our ideas. If I had a nickel for every crazy idea I came up with I would be a rich fella. Sometime the energy don’t keep up with the ideas either.
Hey, it has stopped snowin and the sun is tryin to come out. Maybe it will warm up some.
NEWS FLASH, I finally finished a book. Yesterday I completed At Natures Pace by Gene Logsdon. Pretty good book. Mr. Logsdon is also the author of the Contrary Farmer (which I am also readin). There are pieces in the two books that are duplicated (nothing too bad though). The info is dated (80s) but his concept and thought process is relevant today. My favorite part was the chapters on the Amish. These people fascinate me and I always find enjoyment when learnin about their culture.
Got a joke for ya all>
A six-year-old boy told his father he wanted to marry the little girl across the street. The father, being modern and well-schooled in handling children, hid his smile behind his hand.
'That's a serious step,' he said. 'Have you thought it out completely?'
'Yes,' his young son answered. 'We can spend one week in my room and the next in hers. It's right across the street, so I can run home if I get scared of the dark.'
'How about transportation?' the father asked.
'I have my wagon, and we both have our tricycles,' the little boy answered.
The boy had an answer to every question the father raised.
Finally, in exasperation, his dad asked, 'What about babies? When you're married, you're liable to have babies, you know.'
'We've thought about that, too,' the little boy replied. 'We're not going to have babies. Every time she lays an egg, I'm going to step on it!'
Want another one?
HOW TO CALL THE POLICE WHEN YOU'RE OLD AND DON'T MOVE FAST ANYMORE
George Phillips of Meridian, Mississippi was going up to bed when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window.
George opened the back door to go turn off the light but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things. He phoned the police who asked, 'Is someone in your house?' and he said 'No'. Then they said that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be along when available. George said, 'Okay,' hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again.
'Hello, I just called you a few second s ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I've just shot them all.' Then he hung up.
Within five minutes three police cars, an Armed Response unit, and an ambulance showed up at the Phillips' residence and caught the burglars red-handed.
One of the Policemen said to George: 'I thought you said that you'd shot them!' George said, 'I thought you said there was nobody available!'
(True Story) I LOVE IT
Well, Take er easy. Till next time. Maybe it will warmer the next time we talk.
Monday, March 12, 2007
March 12, 2007
Overcast and cool in Cooks Creek this mornin. Was suppose to be warm today, about 8 C or 46 F but by the feel of it out there I don’t think it is goin to make it. Funny how a couple of days of warm weather changes your outlook on what is warm and cold. Three weeks ago I would of thought this was a warm day. That is when we were in our 40 below deal. A couple of days of nice weather and the term warm takes on a new meanin.
Last Friday was an interestin day for the Sinclair family. My youngest daughter got her tonsils out. The day started at 4:30 am. We got up, had breakfast and got ready to head to Winnipeg. We had to leave at 5:30 to be at the hospital for 6:30. We made it to the hospital in time, got her admitted and she was in the operating room by 7:30. At 9:45 I got a call to come to the recovery room and she had already come around and was awake and alert. She laid in bed until she had something to drink and went to the washroom. Once those two things were accomplished she was discharged. We left the hospital at 11:30 and got home about 1:00 (after stoppin and getting a supply of jello, ice cream and puddin). From the time she was finished the operation until the time she left the hospital was about 3 hours. The nurse said she thought that it was a record. She did real well Friday evenin but really started sufferin on Saturday. She is downstairs layin on the couch and is in a lot of pain. Poor kid. She is one tough young un though. Doesn’t complain or whine. Just hunkers down and takes it. I brought her kitten in and gave it to her. Those things are better than any Tylanol or Asperin. She took that kitten and her face brightened up big time. Ever watch a kitten? They should rent kittens out instead of the trash they call movies now. I don’t know what it is about them but I find myself watchin them and loosin all track of time. They sure are cute and funny to watch. Simple pleasures are sometimes the best.
I said it in my last blog and I will say it again. I have got Spring fever bad. Can’t wait for the warm weather to come and the birds to come back. I have already been watchin the sky to get a glimpse of my first goose. We need a good South wind to blow them in. We should be seein the odd flock in the next week or so. Once I spot my first goose. It is official. Spring is here. To make it official I have to actually see them. News reports of sightings don’t count.
I am feelin down right lazy. Haven’t shoveled any snow for almost a week. Could it be we can put the shovels away? Don’t count on it. We will have some winter weather yet. Maybe even one of those spring storms. Hope it is not like the one in 97. That was the worst one I have ever seen. April 7th. I’ll never forget that one. My wife was pregnant with our son and she was due that weekend. Nothin was moving. Crawlers, plows and loaders were stuck on the highways. We were, I’ll just call it, concerned. We were makin plans on how we were goin to deliver a baby at home. Just the two of us. I was goin to be in charge because I had seen it done once on a Little House on the Prairie TV show. Didn’t look too hard. All a fella had to do is stand down at the appropriate end and yell push. Who couldn’t do that. Turns out he was a week late and everything worked out fine but I’ll tell that was one long weekend. That was the only time I ever missed work because of the weather. I didn’t make it into work until Tuesday at noon. Took 2 weeks to clean up that mess then the flooding started. Yes, 97 is a year I won’t soon forget.
Does anyone out in blog land have a recipe for hominy grits? I have the recipe out of the Foxfire books but it is kind of sketchy. I would think there is more to it than what they describe. They talk about part of the process bein poison and ya have to make sure you wash the corn properly. Kind of has me concerned. Don’t want to poison myself or my family.
Havin some chicken problems at the moment. Have lost about 7 or 8 birds in the last week. Research has me thinkin it is coccidiosis. Quite a common dissease and easily treatable with medication (or so they say). In tryin to diagnose the problem I got off in the wrong direction because about the same time I started havin problems I changed my feed supplier. I went from commercial feed to purchasing feed from a local farmer. The first step in troubleshooting a problem is askin yourself what has changed since I started havin problems. The answer was feed. So I was puttin all my thinkin in that direction. Bad feed and stuff like that. I have ruled that out. I talked to the new supplier and no one else he is selling feed to is havin problems. I trust him (he is good people). So it has got to be something else. The symptoms point to coccidiosis. We will treat for that and monitor.
Well that is all there is from here, Take er easy, Till next time.
Last Friday was an interestin day for the Sinclair family. My youngest daughter got her tonsils out. The day started at 4:30 am. We got up, had breakfast and got ready to head to Winnipeg. We had to leave at 5:30 to be at the hospital for 6:30. We made it to the hospital in time, got her admitted and she was in the operating room by 7:30. At 9:45 I got a call to come to the recovery room and she had already come around and was awake and alert. She laid in bed until she had something to drink and went to the washroom. Once those two things were accomplished she was discharged. We left the hospital at 11:30 and got home about 1:00 (after stoppin and getting a supply of jello, ice cream and puddin). From the time she was finished the operation until the time she left the hospital was about 3 hours. The nurse said she thought that it was a record. She did real well Friday evenin but really started sufferin on Saturday. She is downstairs layin on the couch and is in a lot of pain. Poor kid. She is one tough young un though. Doesn’t complain or whine. Just hunkers down and takes it. I brought her kitten in and gave it to her. Those things are better than any Tylanol or Asperin. She took that kitten and her face brightened up big time. Ever watch a kitten? They should rent kittens out instead of the trash they call movies now. I don’t know what it is about them but I find myself watchin them and loosin all track of time. They sure are cute and funny to watch. Simple pleasures are sometimes the best.
I said it in my last blog and I will say it again. I have got Spring fever bad. Can’t wait for the warm weather to come and the birds to come back. I have already been watchin the sky to get a glimpse of my first goose. We need a good South wind to blow them in. We should be seein the odd flock in the next week or so. Once I spot my first goose. It is official. Spring is here. To make it official I have to actually see them. News reports of sightings don’t count.
I am feelin down right lazy. Haven’t shoveled any snow for almost a week. Could it be we can put the shovels away? Don’t count on it. We will have some winter weather yet. Maybe even one of those spring storms. Hope it is not like the one in 97. That was the worst one I have ever seen. April 7th. I’ll never forget that one. My wife was pregnant with our son and she was due that weekend. Nothin was moving. Crawlers, plows and loaders were stuck on the highways. We were, I’ll just call it, concerned. We were makin plans on how we were goin to deliver a baby at home. Just the two of us. I was goin to be in charge because I had seen it done once on a Little House on the Prairie TV show. Didn’t look too hard. All a fella had to do is stand down at the appropriate end and yell push. Who couldn’t do that. Turns out he was a week late and everything worked out fine but I’ll tell that was one long weekend. That was the only time I ever missed work because of the weather. I didn’t make it into work until Tuesday at noon. Took 2 weeks to clean up that mess then the flooding started. Yes, 97 is a year I won’t soon forget.
Does anyone out in blog land have a recipe for hominy grits? I have the recipe out of the Foxfire books but it is kind of sketchy. I would think there is more to it than what they describe. They talk about part of the process bein poison and ya have to make sure you wash the corn properly. Kind of has me concerned. Don’t want to poison myself or my family.
Havin some chicken problems at the moment. Have lost about 7 or 8 birds in the last week. Research has me thinkin it is coccidiosis. Quite a common dissease and easily treatable with medication (or so they say). In tryin to diagnose the problem I got off in the wrong direction because about the same time I started havin problems I changed my feed supplier. I went from commercial feed to purchasing feed from a local farmer. The first step in troubleshooting a problem is askin yourself what has changed since I started havin problems. The answer was feed. So I was puttin all my thinkin in that direction. Bad feed and stuff like that. I have ruled that out. I talked to the new supplier and no one else he is selling feed to is havin problems. I trust him (he is good people). So it has got to be something else. The symptoms point to coccidiosis. We will treat for that and monitor.
Well that is all there is from here, Take er easy, Till next time.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
March 1, 2007
Still overcast and dull around here in Cooks Creek. Wind out of the East (which is unusual in itself) and tryin real hard to snow. Not sure if March came in like a lion or a lamb. Don’t know what the criteria is to measure by. March is goin to go how it does and it really don’t make no never mind how it came in. Youngest daughter is still not feelin well and has been home from school for three days. She got sick on the school bus Tuesday mornin on the way to school and it has been goin down hill from there. So with the weather and sick young uns it is not a bright cheery day in Cooks Creek. Things will get better. They’re talkin about sun on Saturday. It has been so long since I have seen the sun I am not sure I will recognize it.
Still ploughing through the Contrary Farmer. Pretty good book so far. Gene Logsdon (the author) gets side tracked every once in a while and goes off on a tangent for a couple of pages and as you read you find yourself wonderin what does this have to do with farmin. Those deals are few and are easy to get over. The other possibility is it does relate to farmin and I am not bright enough to see the connection. Not sure which way it is but all in all I am enjoyin the book.
One of the things the two books have got me thinkin about is the “need to have something”. Lets see what do I need? I need a bigger tractor, more land, plasma cutter, metal lathe, new chainsaw, milkin cow, rottotiller, more storage space in the shop, and the list goes on and on. Truth is I don’t need any of that stuff. I want it but I sure don’t need it. The only things in this world I need is food (good food and water), shelter, my health and love. I find myself fallin into the “need” trap. Sometimes I use it as an excuse (can’t do that because I need this). If I want to farm I need (attach list here). I need to work hard and get away from that thought process. It’s ok to want stuff. Wantin stuff makes life fun. Gives ya a goal to work for. Ya try and get ahead, build up a deal you maybe can pass onto a young un. Both books, The Contrary Farmer and Family Friendly Farming talk about workin with what you have. Don’t focus on what ya don’t have. Doin so becomes a copout, an excuse on why something can’t be done. There is so much potential to create a sustainable farm with the basics and some imagination. If I have heard it once I have heard it a hundred times. “Ya need a million dollars to start farmin today”. I have had friends actually laugh when I explain what we are tryin to do here. Common statement after we explain what it is we are trying to do is; “No one in their right mind would try and start a farm in this day and age”.
“Tractor alone is 150 grand”.
“Where ya goin to get someone to lend ya that kind of money”.
When Mr. Logsdon was a young un, he was sittin with his grandpa, his dad and a bunch of other relatives. Farmin was the topic of conversation and tractors was the subject. Mr. Logsdon stated that when he grew up he wanted to farm with horses. Everyone laughed and made a joke of his idea. Told him it wouldn’t work in this day and age and pretty much sluffed him off. His grandpa came over to him in a spell and leaned over and told him in a hushed voice that with a good team of horses and 100 acres he could put more money in the bank and not have to work one hour more than any man in that room. AND his life and work would be far more enjoyable and stress free. You know grandpa may have been right. Takes along time to pay off 150 thousand dollars and owing that much money has to bring on a few gray hairs.
Well I “need” some lunch. So until the next blog. Take care and keep healthy.
Still ploughing through the Contrary Farmer. Pretty good book so far. Gene Logsdon (the author) gets side tracked every once in a while and goes off on a tangent for a couple of pages and as you read you find yourself wonderin what does this have to do with farmin. Those deals are few and are easy to get over. The other possibility is it does relate to farmin and I am not bright enough to see the connection. Not sure which way it is but all in all I am enjoyin the book.
One of the things the two books have got me thinkin about is the “need to have something”. Lets see what do I need? I need a bigger tractor, more land, plasma cutter, metal lathe, new chainsaw, milkin cow, rottotiller, more storage space in the shop, and the list goes on and on. Truth is I don’t need any of that stuff. I want it but I sure don’t need it. The only things in this world I need is food (good food and water), shelter, my health and love. I find myself fallin into the “need” trap. Sometimes I use it as an excuse (can’t do that because I need this). If I want to farm I need (attach list here). I need to work hard and get away from that thought process. It’s ok to want stuff. Wantin stuff makes life fun. Gives ya a goal to work for. Ya try and get ahead, build up a deal you maybe can pass onto a young un. Both books, The Contrary Farmer and Family Friendly Farming talk about workin with what you have. Don’t focus on what ya don’t have. Doin so becomes a copout, an excuse on why something can’t be done. There is so much potential to create a sustainable farm with the basics and some imagination. If I have heard it once I have heard it a hundred times. “Ya need a million dollars to start farmin today”. I have had friends actually laugh when I explain what we are tryin to do here. Common statement after we explain what it is we are trying to do is; “No one in their right mind would try and start a farm in this day and age”.
“Tractor alone is 150 grand”.
“Where ya goin to get someone to lend ya that kind of money”.
When Mr. Logsdon was a young un, he was sittin with his grandpa, his dad and a bunch of other relatives. Farmin was the topic of conversation and tractors was the subject. Mr. Logsdon stated that when he grew up he wanted to farm with horses. Everyone laughed and made a joke of his idea. Told him it wouldn’t work in this day and age and pretty much sluffed him off. His grandpa came over to him in a spell and leaned over and told him in a hushed voice that with a good team of horses and 100 acres he could put more money in the bank and not have to work one hour more than any man in that room. AND his life and work would be far more enjoyable and stress free. You know grandpa may have been right. Takes along time to pay off 150 thousand dollars and owing that much money has to bring on a few gray hairs.
Well I “need” some lunch. So until the next blog. Take care and keep healthy.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
February 27, 2007
Still snowing here in the great white north. The weather is gray and dismal. Haven’t seen the sun for many days. At least the temperatures are mild. Still not melting but pretty darn close.
I have some vacation time that I need to use or loose so I was off work today. Bein the good husband and dad I am, I took it upon myself to make supper. Now I got to tell ya, I make the best home made soup in the area, the whole country, and maybe even the world. And, I out did myself again today with another great soup. When the wife got home from work she whipped up a batch of homemade biscuits and that was our supper. Hmmmm good! Ya ain’t goin to find better food than that or food that is better for ya. Soup has everything a body needs. Grain, vegetables, meat, water (couldn’t work any fruit or dairy into it though). So now that ya all know I am the best soup maker in the whole world what else do I have to tell ya.
The other day I was walkin through the hardware store pickin up a motor and bearings for my chicken plucker. They had these little hand crank gristmills on sale for 15 bucks. Well I had to have one. Don’t need one, didn’t want one (until the moment I saw them) but I just had to get one. So I did. I am not usually one to make unnecessary purchases but every once in a blue moon ya see something ya just got to have. Anyway, I bought it and bring it home and the wife says what ya goin to do with that? Well um, ah, um, well, Then as quick as a wink it comes to me. I blurt out; I’m goin to make my own grits. So that is what I am goin to do with the little hand grinder. Lucky I bought it when I did. I knew it was a necessary purchase, just hadn’t figured out what it was necessary for until that moment.
Got to buy some more hay for the horses. Man, those things go through that stuff. Guess that is why they call them hay burners. With the cold weather they packed it away double time. Of course what goes in has to come out. For every 10 lbs. that goes in 20 lbs. comes out. Not sure how that works but it sure seems like it does. Come to think of it, it works like that for all animals. Especially when ya have to clean it up and move it around.
Wood is getting low too. That’s it once the wood runs out, I demand the weather warms up and we get on with spring. There that does it, all I got to do now is use up all my wood and spring will be here.
Tonight at supper we got to talkin about food and what a person really needs to survive and be happy. As I mentioned before we were havin my world famous soup, which is about as basic as food gets. We started talkin about how cool would it be to have Jesus over for supper. To have him sit down with us and have some of my famous soup and the wife’s home made biscuits. Would he approve of a meal like that? Would he enjoy that type of meal? What would ya talk about? Think about it! Your sittin down to supper there is a knock at the door and it is Jesus. Ya say welcome Jesus how about some supper and he says sure don’t mind if I do. Hey Guy, I see ya made some of your world famous soup. Ya all must of known I was comin. We sit down and have supper and chew the fat. Man that gives me goose bumps just thinkin about it. What a wild thought. Or is it? What ya all think? Could happen. Could happen anyday. If that don’t make ya think, nothin will.
Well that is it for tonight. Time for a cup of joe and off to bed for this ol boy. Ya all take care.
I have some vacation time that I need to use or loose so I was off work today. Bein the good husband and dad I am, I took it upon myself to make supper. Now I got to tell ya, I make the best home made soup in the area, the whole country, and maybe even the world. And, I out did myself again today with another great soup. When the wife got home from work she whipped up a batch of homemade biscuits and that was our supper. Hmmmm good! Ya ain’t goin to find better food than that or food that is better for ya. Soup has everything a body needs. Grain, vegetables, meat, water (couldn’t work any fruit or dairy into it though). So now that ya all know I am the best soup maker in the whole world what else do I have to tell ya.
The other day I was walkin through the hardware store pickin up a motor and bearings for my chicken plucker. They had these little hand crank gristmills on sale for 15 bucks. Well I had to have one. Don’t need one, didn’t want one (until the moment I saw them) but I just had to get one. So I did. I am not usually one to make unnecessary purchases but every once in a blue moon ya see something ya just got to have. Anyway, I bought it and bring it home and the wife says what ya goin to do with that? Well um, ah, um, well, Then as quick as a wink it comes to me. I blurt out; I’m goin to make my own grits. So that is what I am goin to do with the little hand grinder. Lucky I bought it when I did. I knew it was a necessary purchase, just hadn’t figured out what it was necessary for until that moment.
Got to buy some more hay for the horses. Man, those things go through that stuff. Guess that is why they call them hay burners. With the cold weather they packed it away double time. Of course what goes in has to come out. For every 10 lbs. that goes in 20 lbs. comes out. Not sure how that works but it sure seems like it does. Come to think of it, it works like that for all animals. Especially when ya have to clean it up and move it around.
Wood is getting low too. That’s it once the wood runs out, I demand the weather warms up and we get on with spring. There that does it, all I got to do now is use up all my wood and spring will be here.
Tonight at supper we got to talkin about food and what a person really needs to survive and be happy. As I mentioned before we were havin my world famous soup, which is about as basic as food gets. We started talkin about how cool would it be to have Jesus over for supper. To have him sit down with us and have some of my famous soup and the wife’s home made biscuits. Would he approve of a meal like that? Would he enjoy that type of meal? What would ya talk about? Think about it! Your sittin down to supper there is a knock at the door and it is Jesus. Ya say welcome Jesus how about some supper and he says sure don’t mind if I do. Hey Guy, I see ya made some of your world famous soup. Ya all must of known I was comin. We sit down and have supper and chew the fat. Man that gives me goose bumps just thinkin about it. What a wild thought. Or is it? What ya all think? Could happen. Could happen anyday. If that don’t make ya think, nothin will.
Well that is it for tonight. Time for a cup of joe and off to bed for this ol boy. Ya all take care.
Monday, February 26, 2007
February 26, 2007
Snow, snow and more snow. It has been snowin here for 4 days. I have stopped tryin to clean it up and am just goin to let it stop and then clean up once and for all. Spent a good part of yesterday clearin drifts away from fences so the horses couldn’t get out. Even though we have been getting snow the temperature is mild. Not meltin yet. But close. I can hardly wait for spring. I can feel it. It is just around the corner. Another 3 to 4 weeks and the geese will be back. In my little mind that will be the official start of spring. Things will start warmin up and growin. It will be wet and mucky for a spell but we’ll get er done. This will be our first year we are goin to put in a garden at the new place. Man, we got some big plans. Hope our energy and time can keep up to our plans.
It has been quite a spell since I last blogged. Not sure why I have let things slide unless it has been cause I have been doin some readin in my spare time instead of bloggin. I read Joel Salatins book, Family Friendly Farming. Now it takes the normal fella maybe a week or two to read a book like that. Took me a month and a bit. I am the slowest reader in history. Not sure why, just am. But when I am finished a book I can tell ya exactly what I read. I read every word. Getting back to the Mr. Salatin's book. I sure did enjoy it. The book is about farmin but really it could be related to any vocation. The book is really about family, raisin children, moms, dads, wives, husbands, work and really life in general. He (Mr. Salatin) tells it like he sees it. I like the way he thinks. I didn’t agree with everything he said but lets just say both of our trains of thought are on the same track. His concepts on family and raisin children in a materialistic world (a world that really doesn’t value either) are refreshin to say the least. 5 stars to Mr. Salatin. We need more like him in this world. Wife is readin it now. She will read that thing in under a week no problem. Me and her are at opposite ends of the scale when it comes to speed readin. I am readin The Contrary Farmer now. Actually I started the Contrary Farmer first then got ahold of Mr. Salatins book and started readin it. Now I got to finish the Contrary Farmer. Man, know wonder my life is so unorganized. Can’t focus enough to keep readin the same book I started in the first place. Once I get er done I will tell ya all what I thought of it.
Wizbang Chicken Plucker is comin along. Got all the bits and pieces just need to do the final assembly now . Shouldn’t take long just need to find the time to do it.
Chickens are startin to lay again. Days getting longer and the mild temperatures help. Youngest daughter had to be picked up from school this mornin cause she got sick on the school bus. So she is down with the flu. Then next week it is off to the hospital to gether tonsils out. Wife hurt her back today at work, so she is hobblin around here like an old lady. 2 out of 5 down. Hope nothin gets us 3. Got to get lots of sleep and make sure our systems are in top form to fight of all the bugs goin around.
Well that is all the news I have from Cooks Creek. Keep your stick on the ice and if they don't find ya handsome they should at least find ya handy. See ya all soon.
It has been quite a spell since I last blogged. Not sure why I have let things slide unless it has been cause I have been doin some readin in my spare time instead of bloggin. I read Joel Salatins book, Family Friendly Farming. Now it takes the normal fella maybe a week or two to read a book like that. Took me a month and a bit. I am the slowest reader in history. Not sure why, just am. But when I am finished a book I can tell ya exactly what I read. I read every word. Getting back to the Mr. Salatin's book. I sure did enjoy it. The book is about farmin but really it could be related to any vocation. The book is really about family, raisin children, moms, dads, wives, husbands, work and really life in general. He (Mr. Salatin) tells it like he sees it. I like the way he thinks. I didn’t agree with everything he said but lets just say both of our trains of thought are on the same track. His concepts on family and raisin children in a materialistic world (a world that really doesn’t value either) are refreshin to say the least. 5 stars to Mr. Salatin. We need more like him in this world. Wife is readin it now. She will read that thing in under a week no problem. Me and her are at opposite ends of the scale when it comes to speed readin. I am readin The Contrary Farmer now. Actually I started the Contrary Farmer first then got ahold of Mr. Salatins book and started readin it. Now I got to finish the Contrary Farmer. Man, know wonder my life is so unorganized. Can’t focus enough to keep readin the same book I started in the first place. Once I get er done I will tell ya all what I thought of it.
Wizbang Chicken Plucker is comin along. Got all the bits and pieces just need to do the final assembly now . Shouldn’t take long just need to find the time to do it.
Chickens are startin to lay again. Days getting longer and the mild temperatures help. Youngest daughter had to be picked up from school this mornin cause she got sick on the school bus. So she is down with the flu. Then next week it is off to the hospital to gether tonsils out. Wife hurt her back today at work, so she is hobblin around here like an old lady. 2 out of 5 down. Hope nothin gets us 3. Got to get lots of sleep and make sure our systems are in top form to fight of all the bugs goin around.
Well that is all the news I have from Cooks Creek. Keep your stick on the ice and if they don't find ya handsome they should at least find ya handy. See ya all soon.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
February 13, 2007
Hi all. It has been almost two weeks since my last blog. That can't do. Need to fill ya all in on what has been goin on up here in Canada. Well, I have been shiverin and then I shiver some more. A couple times I stopped shiverin because my body went numb from the cold. Well that is about it. Talk to ya all real soon.
Just kiddin. Actually there has been a bit more than shiverin from the cold goin on around here. It has been cold though. 35 to 45 below has been the norm every morn for the last couple of weeks. Thing is, we are gettin used to it and it don't seem so bad when we go out in the mornin now. Do all the chores at double pace but that is ok as long as they all get done. Say it is goin to warm up by Friday. Guess we will just wait and see and if it don't it will be cold and we'll just keep on, keepin on. No use complainin cause it don't help.
Things are gettin back to normal around here this week. Wife and oldest daughter are finished with the church play and it was another huge success. They were at it 3 weeks for 3 or 4 nites a week. Helpin with the play was good in itself but they spent time together and made memories that both will cherish for the rest of their life. Towards the end of the play the wife was sayin she will never do the play again but only a few days have past since it has ended and she is already talkin about next year. Anyway it was allot of work for all the people involved and it raised a mess of money for a good cause. It also provided some good wholesome entertainment for a bunch of people. Time well spent.
I have been doin some readin on these cold nites. The book I am readin is by Joel Salatin called Family Friendly Farmin. I do believe I am goin to have to edit my profile and add this book as one of my favorites. I am about half way through and it is more a lesson on daily livin than farmin. The farmin part is brought into it because that is what Mr. Saletin does for a livin but the lessons taught on child raisin and on the general outlook of life are quite astoundin. All in all a real good read. One of the best books I have read. Truth is I only get to read it part time. Wife is readin it too. So there is a bit of a battle on who gets the book, since we only got one copy. One of my favorite quotes in the book is “All work and no play makes Johnny a sad boy and all play and no work makes Johnny a spoiled brat”. How true is that. The only thing that saddens me is we (wife and I) didn’t start this deal 20 years ago. But then again no use cryin over spilled milk. Good thing we are startin now and better get on with it because time is a wastin.
Daytona weekend comin up. Now for the most part I don't watch much TV but when it comes to racin I have a bit of a weakness. Sunday will find me in front of the box starin at 43 cars goin round and round in a big circle for 3 1/2 hours. Don't sound too excitin but I can't help but love it. Yea I know, it is a waste of time and I could be doin somethin useful but it’s the Daytona 500. If I didn't watch it my life wouldn't be complete or the earth would stop revolvin around the sun. This is a big deal for me. Bigger than Christmas or my birthday. I need to get a supply or snacks and pop. Better get extra just in case there is a rain delay or allot of cautions.
Well quarter to ten, better have a cup of coffee go put Indy away and hit the hay. Five o’clock comes quick. Hope ya are all loved, warm, dry, full of good food. Ain’t much more a fella needs than that. Take er easy.
Just kiddin. Actually there has been a bit more than shiverin from the cold goin on around here. It has been cold though. 35 to 45 below has been the norm every morn for the last couple of weeks. Thing is, we are gettin used to it and it don't seem so bad when we go out in the mornin now. Do all the chores at double pace but that is ok as long as they all get done. Say it is goin to warm up by Friday. Guess we will just wait and see and if it don't it will be cold and we'll just keep on, keepin on. No use complainin cause it don't help.
Things are gettin back to normal around here this week. Wife and oldest daughter are finished with the church play and it was another huge success. They were at it 3 weeks for 3 or 4 nites a week. Helpin with the play was good in itself but they spent time together and made memories that both will cherish for the rest of their life. Towards the end of the play the wife was sayin she will never do the play again but only a few days have past since it has ended and she is already talkin about next year. Anyway it was allot of work for all the people involved and it raised a mess of money for a good cause. It also provided some good wholesome entertainment for a bunch of people. Time well spent.
I have been doin some readin on these cold nites. The book I am readin is by Joel Salatin called Family Friendly Farmin. I do believe I am goin to have to edit my profile and add this book as one of my favorites. I am about half way through and it is more a lesson on daily livin than farmin. The farmin part is brought into it because that is what Mr. Saletin does for a livin but the lessons taught on child raisin and on the general outlook of life are quite astoundin. All in all a real good read. One of the best books I have read. Truth is I only get to read it part time. Wife is readin it too. So there is a bit of a battle on who gets the book, since we only got one copy. One of my favorite quotes in the book is “All work and no play makes Johnny a sad boy and all play and no work makes Johnny a spoiled brat”. How true is that. The only thing that saddens me is we (wife and I) didn’t start this deal 20 years ago. But then again no use cryin over spilled milk. Good thing we are startin now and better get on with it because time is a wastin.
Daytona weekend comin up. Now for the most part I don't watch much TV but when it comes to racin I have a bit of a weakness. Sunday will find me in front of the box starin at 43 cars goin round and round in a big circle for 3 1/2 hours. Don't sound too excitin but I can't help but love it. Yea I know, it is a waste of time and I could be doin somethin useful but it’s the Daytona 500. If I didn't watch it my life wouldn't be complete or the earth would stop revolvin around the sun. This is a big deal for me. Bigger than Christmas or my birthday. I need to get a supply or snacks and pop. Better get extra just in case there is a rain delay or allot of cautions.
Well quarter to ten, better have a cup of coffee go put Indy away and hit the hay. Five o’clock comes quick. Hope ya are all loved, warm, dry, full of good food. Ain’t much more a fella needs than that. Take er easy.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
February 1, 2007
Well here it is the beginin of February already. I guess the weather is on everyone’s mind. At least up in these parts it is. Extreme cold with high winds makes it dangerous for travel and hard on all things livin and mechanical. Vehicles won’t start and if they do it is by luck or by golly if they break somethin or not. I like to hunker down in times like this and just wait things out. Suppose to be Groundhog Day tomorrow. I’m tellin ya no groundhog is comin out in this deal. Wife and daughter have gone off to church to help with the play again. Wish they didn’t have to go because I don’t like them on the roads when it is like this. But they committed and I guess ya should stand by your word. I read on the http://ndhomekeeper.blogspot.com/ND Homekeeper blog this evening that they are havin some problems with their animals because of the cold. Ya wonder how any livin thing can survive in this stuff. Actually I think they are worse off than us because if I’m not mistaken I think I heard a blizzard went through their area a day back. The forecast says it is goin to get worse before it gets better so we better take er as she comes and get er done.
I had a vacation day from work yesterday and decided to go to the Brokenhead Ag Conference in Beausjour. I had a fine time. Listened to a couple of talks. One was on grazzin cattle on turnips and the other was on biodiesel production for the farmer. I also sat in on a talk about hirin farm help and how to hire and keep good people. Now my little two bit operation is never goin to require me to need staff (that’s what we have kids for, right?) but I do have those requirement in my other job so I found the info interesting and I think I will be able to put some of it to good use. The biodiesel deal was interestin but unless ya got 75 grand to invest in equipment it ain’t going to fly (or at least that is what the fella said). The cost of production of biodiesel per gallon is actually higher than regular diesel. The only thing its got goin for it right now is it is produced from a renewable resource. The conference cost 10 bucks but with that ya got a good lunch, all the donuts and coffee ya can get in ya and spent the day in a warm hall learnin stuff. Good way to spend a cold winter day.
Got some of my chicken plucker parts ordered from the Wizbang Chickenplucker guy. I think his name is Herrick. Should be here next week (I hope). I will get the frame finished and painted this weekend (again, I hope).
Another birthday comin up this weekend. Oldest daughter had her 18th last Saturday and now my youngest daughter is goin to be 13 this Sunday. Man, life is goin by fast. Need to slow it down but there ain’t no way. Just got to hang on and enjoy the ride I guess.
Egg production is almost nil with this cold weather. Cost more in food than what we are gettin in eggs. I guess they are usin all their energy to keep warm. Ya know it is cold when ya look forward to gettin into that stinky chicken barn to get out of the wind.
I started doin my farm taxes this evenin. Man, that’s depressin. Ya start addin up your expenses and look at your income and ya got to wonder why would any person work like this for so little return. It’s a way of life and I can’t think of a better way to live. I really don’t care if I make a nickel. It’s like that old joke. One ol farmer says to the other, what would ya do if ya won the lottery. The other ol farmer says, Oh I don’t know, I guess I will just keep on farmin till it is all gone. That’s me. If I won a million dollars. I’d buy me some cows and hogs and some machinery. No holiday or new boat for me. Well, maybe a new boat for fishin but not one of those fancy ones. Just a 14 footer allum. with a 20 hp motor. Not that I have thought about it or anything.
Ya know I,m getting tired so I am goin to end this deal and head off to hit he hay. Talk to ya all real soon
I had a vacation day from work yesterday and decided to go to the Brokenhead Ag Conference in Beausjour. I had a fine time. Listened to a couple of talks. One was on grazzin cattle on turnips and the other was on biodiesel production for the farmer. I also sat in on a talk about hirin farm help and how to hire and keep good people. Now my little two bit operation is never goin to require me to need staff (that’s what we have kids for, right?) but I do have those requirement in my other job so I found the info interesting and I think I will be able to put some of it to good use. The biodiesel deal was interestin but unless ya got 75 grand to invest in equipment it ain’t going to fly (or at least that is what the fella said). The cost of production of biodiesel per gallon is actually higher than regular diesel. The only thing its got goin for it right now is it is produced from a renewable resource. The conference cost 10 bucks but with that ya got a good lunch, all the donuts and coffee ya can get in ya and spent the day in a warm hall learnin stuff. Good way to spend a cold winter day.
Got some of my chicken plucker parts ordered from the Wizbang Chickenplucker guy. I think his name is Herrick. Should be here next week (I hope). I will get the frame finished and painted this weekend (again, I hope).
Another birthday comin up this weekend. Oldest daughter had her 18th last Saturday and now my youngest daughter is goin to be 13 this Sunday. Man, life is goin by fast. Need to slow it down but there ain’t no way. Just got to hang on and enjoy the ride I guess.
Egg production is almost nil with this cold weather. Cost more in food than what we are gettin in eggs. I guess they are usin all their energy to keep warm. Ya know it is cold when ya look forward to gettin into that stinky chicken barn to get out of the wind.
I started doin my farm taxes this evenin. Man, that’s depressin. Ya start addin up your expenses and look at your income and ya got to wonder why would any person work like this for so little return. It’s a way of life and I can’t think of a better way to live. I really don’t care if I make a nickel. It’s like that old joke. One ol farmer says to the other, what would ya do if ya won the lottery. The other ol farmer says, Oh I don’t know, I guess I will just keep on farmin till it is all gone. That’s me. If I won a million dollars. I’d buy me some cows and hogs and some machinery. No holiday or new boat for me. Well, maybe a new boat for fishin but not one of those fancy ones. Just a 14 footer allum. with a 20 hp motor. Not that I have thought about it or anything.
Ya know I,m getting tired so I am goin to end this deal and head off to hit he hay. Talk to ya all real soon
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
January 24, 2007
The weather here in Cooks Creek is mild for this time of year but it is chilly in our home. We had an accident. I came home from work yesterday and as luck would have it I ran over and killed my youngest daughter's kitten. My youngest daughter is a tough yung un. I know she was feelin bad (as anyone would) but she knows how I feel about animals and she kept it in. There were tears but she never let me see them. I went up to her room and gave her a hug and told her I was sorry and she said that is ok Dad. The wife ain’t so tough and had a hard time with it because she actually saw me run over the little guy and watched him die. My up bringin is animals are animals. They are not one of us. I have animals around for a purpose. The cats are there for mouse/rat control. I never have/will put a human spin to pets or animals but my wife is more of a pets are part of the family type of deal. Anyway we are down to 2 cats now. What’s done is done and we move on.
On a brighter note, I had a great Monday. My youngest daughter had to go into the city to see a sawbones about gettin her tonsils out. They are huge (tonsils) and have been causin her no end of grief for some time. I have a mess of vacation time I have to use up before the end of March so I took a vacation day and picked her up from school and took her to her doctor’s appointment. We made the appointment and when we came out my first instinct was to get her back to school so she wouldn’t miss much class time. As we were headin back to the truck I saw a Sals restaurant. It was lunchtime so I asked her if she would like to go out for lunch or have her bag lunch Mom had made her. She said she would really like to go out for lunch. So we did. Just me and her. We ate the most greasy unhealthy hamburger and french fries you could imagine but it was great. We talked and I had a big time (I think she did too). She is 12 years old and I don’t think we have ever done something like that before. It is a real fine memory and one I will never forget. Best 12 bucks I ever spent. Ya all are probably thinking, what’s the big deal; ya went out for lunch. The lunch was lunch; the memory is the time I spent with my youngest daughter. Just me and her talking and such. Life is getting away too busy around here. Got to get more and bigger and better and more and sooner. It is time to start goin out for lunch more around here.
Something that has my interest for awhile now is home schoolin. I have read some on the subject over the last two months. One of the negatives to home schoolin is, yung uns that are home schooled lack social skills. I have read this many times and the public school system seems to hang onto this belief and preach it every chance it gets. Let me tell ya about an experience I had on the same Monday my daughter and I went out for lunch. After I took my daughter back to school I went to pickup my beautiful wife (just in case she reads this deal) from her job. She works at the high school cafeteria. I think I have mentioned that before in a previous post. Anyway, back to my story. I got there about half-hour early so I went in the cafeteria and was settin and waitin. Now I experienced/witnessed the most interesting social behavior since I was knee high to a grasshopper and visited the monkeys at the zoo. I watched a yung lady with a handful of pennies throw them at yung fellas as they walked through the cafeteria. Not every yung fella was pelted with coins, only certain ones (not sure how she decided who received the attention). On more than 4 occasions a yung fella would come through and make a noise that was similar to noises gibbons make. One of his buddies would return the call with a similar noise but in a different pitch and tone. I have no idea what it meant but they seemed to be communicating with it. I watched 6 yung fellas standin on the tables and lift the suspended ceiling tiles in and out. Not sure why but they did it for the whole half-hour I was there. Another yung lady must of got a late start in the mornin because she came to school in her pajamas. I’m not yankin your chain. Saw it with my own eyes. Another yung lady must have got her little sisters clothes and hers mixed up because the shirt she was wearin only half covered her. The public school system is right. No home schooled yung un is goin to learn these social skills at home. I have not been in a school for 30+ years. I don’t remember it like that but then again much of my time when I was that age was spent on the business end of a pick and shovel. Still shakin my head.
Wife is at the church tonight. First nite of the dinner theater. Deal goes for three weeks, 4 nites a week. She is goin to be tired when the curtain goes down on this deal. Late nites and early mornins are goin to catch up on her in short order.
I’m goin to say good nite and go read for a bit. Talk to ya all real soon.
On a brighter note, I had a great Monday. My youngest daughter had to go into the city to see a sawbones about gettin her tonsils out. They are huge (tonsils) and have been causin her no end of grief for some time. I have a mess of vacation time I have to use up before the end of March so I took a vacation day and picked her up from school and took her to her doctor’s appointment. We made the appointment and when we came out my first instinct was to get her back to school so she wouldn’t miss much class time. As we were headin back to the truck I saw a Sals restaurant. It was lunchtime so I asked her if she would like to go out for lunch or have her bag lunch Mom had made her. She said she would really like to go out for lunch. So we did. Just me and her. We ate the most greasy unhealthy hamburger and french fries you could imagine but it was great. We talked and I had a big time (I think she did too). She is 12 years old and I don’t think we have ever done something like that before. It is a real fine memory and one I will never forget. Best 12 bucks I ever spent. Ya all are probably thinking, what’s the big deal; ya went out for lunch. The lunch was lunch; the memory is the time I spent with my youngest daughter. Just me and her talking and such. Life is getting away too busy around here. Got to get more and bigger and better and more and sooner. It is time to start goin out for lunch more around here.
Something that has my interest for awhile now is home schoolin. I have read some on the subject over the last two months. One of the negatives to home schoolin is, yung uns that are home schooled lack social skills. I have read this many times and the public school system seems to hang onto this belief and preach it every chance it gets. Let me tell ya about an experience I had on the same Monday my daughter and I went out for lunch. After I took my daughter back to school I went to pickup my beautiful wife (just in case she reads this deal) from her job. She works at the high school cafeteria. I think I have mentioned that before in a previous post. Anyway, back to my story. I got there about half-hour early so I went in the cafeteria and was settin and waitin. Now I experienced/witnessed the most interesting social behavior since I was knee high to a grasshopper and visited the monkeys at the zoo. I watched a yung lady with a handful of pennies throw them at yung fellas as they walked through the cafeteria. Not every yung fella was pelted with coins, only certain ones (not sure how she decided who received the attention). On more than 4 occasions a yung fella would come through and make a noise that was similar to noises gibbons make. One of his buddies would return the call with a similar noise but in a different pitch and tone. I have no idea what it meant but they seemed to be communicating with it. I watched 6 yung fellas standin on the tables and lift the suspended ceiling tiles in and out. Not sure why but they did it for the whole half-hour I was there. Another yung lady must of got a late start in the mornin because she came to school in her pajamas. I’m not yankin your chain. Saw it with my own eyes. Another yung lady must have got her little sisters clothes and hers mixed up because the shirt she was wearin only half covered her. The public school system is right. No home schooled yung un is goin to learn these social skills at home. I have not been in a school for 30+ years. I don’t remember it like that but then again much of my time when I was that age was spent on the business end of a pick and shovel. Still shakin my head.
Wife is at the church tonight. First nite of the dinner theater. Deal goes for three weeks, 4 nites a week. She is goin to be tired when the curtain goes down on this deal. Late nites and early mornins are goin to catch up on her in short order.
I’m goin to say good nite and go read for a bit. Talk to ya all real soon.
Friday, January 19, 2007
January 19, 2007
Friday evenin in Cooks Creek. Wife is sick and has gone to bed. She has been feelin poorly for a couple of days now. Needs a good nights rest. Durin the week we don’t get enough sleep. Try to be in the sack by at least 10:00 (but doesn’t always happen) then alarm goes off @ 5:00. Put in a full day from 5:00 am to 10:00 p.m. That’s only gives 7 hours sleep if we are lucky. One thing I am sure of it is, sufficient sleep is one of the most important things you can do to keep yourself healthy. Eventually it all catches up with ya. God says “Your too stupid to get the proper rest, well I’ll give ya something that will put ya down and make ya rest. There ya go. I guess if there is one thing we (whole family) should be doin this year is makin a real effort to get proper sleep.
The oldest daughter has taken my truck and is off on her first solo trip. She has gone off to church to help with the play. Am I nervous? Darn tootin. It’s the only truck I got.
Last week took our burn barrel to the dump. Son is with me and wants to go to the saw dust pile they have there and get some bags of saw dust for his cat’s litter box. We get a couple of bags of saw dust and I gets this bright idea that I will fill up the now empty burn barrel with saw dust and use it for beddin in the chicken coop. So I do. Take it over to the coop when I get home and start puttin it on the floor. Stupid chickens make a bee line for the other side of the coop and bunch up 4 or 5 deep. I knew what was goin to happen instantly. I ran over and tried to get them seperated but as fast as I was pullin them apart they were bunchin up. So I ran and got a feed bin and brought it into the coop. That got them apart but too late. 4 dead chickens. What can I say. I’m still learnin. Chickens didn’t go to waste. They are in the freezer but they were good layers. Full of eggs. Man, was I mad at myself. Live and learn.
We were sellin eggs to the canteen in the high school where my wife works. Health Inspector comes in this week and sees the brown eggs and asks where the eggs are comin from (you know where this is goin, right). Lady says, Cheryl’s farm. Are they graded? Nope. Get them out of here or I’ll shut ya down. So no more sellin eggs to the high school. 6 feet from those eggs is a slushy machine where they sell a crushed ice drink deal with flavored sugar syrup on it. Nutritional value of that stuff is nil. That stuffs ok but farm fresh eggs had to hit the road. I’ll never figure this deal out.
I have started the construction of my Wizbang Chicken Plucker. In a previous post I mentioned I thought I could build it for $200. I may have been a little off. I thought I had a good motor. Turns out it is junk. So I will need to buy a motor. Some of the parts are pretty special (not stuff you would have layin around). I think I will buy that sstuff from the Wizbang Chicken Plucker Company. It sounds like it is a family run deal. I like dealin with those kind of outfits. Support what we are all tryin to do here. My new prediction is $500. Exactly what the book said it would cost if ya had to buy evrything new. I may even have to go a touch over 500 bein here in Canada. Everything is a bit more expensive do to extra shippin costs and our lower dollar value. Will let ya all know how it goes. I’ll get er done. May take a bit longer cause I’ll need to saveup a little more but my days of hand pluckin chickens should be over. Maybe I’ll take my plucker on the road like the old threshin gangs in the old days. Make me a sign. Chickens Plucked, two bits each. Says it can pluck a chicken in 15 seconds. That would be a dollar a minute. I could make 60 bucks an hour pluckin chickens. I’ll be rich! If I build 2 pluckers, I could make………. Wonder if the bank would lend me some start up money? ;-)
Man, I am lookin forward to Spring. There is goin to be a ton of work to complete this year but it is what I call fun work. Workin on farmin stuff, buildin chicken pluckers, buildin stalls in barns and pig pens ain’t work at all. That kind of stuff makes me want to get up in the mornin and get goin.
Everyone is plannin or have been of a warm holiday. I wonder what is wrong with me? I have no urge to go away on a vacation. My vacation time (from my away job) is spent right here at home. Not because I have to but because I want to. No place on earth I would rather be than at home doin what we are doin. People ask, Are you goin someplace warm this winter? When you tell them no, they look at ya like they feel sorry for ya or something. Don’t feel sorry for me. I like stayin at home with my family and doin what we are doin. I feel sorry for you that ya all got to go lookin all over the place and spend a wheelbarrow full of money tryin to find some contentment.
Well as Bugs Bunny says, ThThThThThats all folks! Talk to ya all real soon. I want to blog a little more regular so to keep a better log on stuff.
The oldest daughter has taken my truck and is off on her first solo trip. She has gone off to church to help with the play. Am I nervous? Darn tootin. It’s the only truck I got.
Last week took our burn barrel to the dump. Son is with me and wants to go to the saw dust pile they have there and get some bags of saw dust for his cat’s litter box. We get a couple of bags of saw dust and I gets this bright idea that I will fill up the now empty burn barrel with saw dust and use it for beddin in the chicken coop. So I do. Take it over to the coop when I get home and start puttin it on the floor. Stupid chickens make a bee line for the other side of the coop and bunch up 4 or 5 deep. I knew what was goin to happen instantly. I ran over and tried to get them seperated but as fast as I was pullin them apart they were bunchin up. So I ran and got a feed bin and brought it into the coop. That got them apart but too late. 4 dead chickens. What can I say. I’m still learnin. Chickens didn’t go to waste. They are in the freezer but they were good layers. Full of eggs. Man, was I mad at myself. Live and learn.
We were sellin eggs to the canteen in the high school where my wife works. Health Inspector comes in this week and sees the brown eggs and asks where the eggs are comin from (you know where this is goin, right). Lady says, Cheryl’s farm. Are they graded? Nope. Get them out of here or I’ll shut ya down. So no more sellin eggs to the high school. 6 feet from those eggs is a slushy machine where they sell a crushed ice drink deal with flavored sugar syrup on it. Nutritional value of that stuff is nil. That stuffs ok but farm fresh eggs had to hit the road. I’ll never figure this deal out.
I have started the construction of my Wizbang Chicken Plucker. In a previous post I mentioned I thought I could build it for $200. I may have been a little off. I thought I had a good motor. Turns out it is junk. So I will need to buy a motor. Some of the parts are pretty special (not stuff you would have layin around). I think I will buy that sstuff from the Wizbang Chicken Plucker Company. It sounds like it is a family run deal. I like dealin with those kind of outfits. Support what we are all tryin to do here. My new prediction is $500. Exactly what the book said it would cost if ya had to buy evrything new. I may even have to go a touch over 500 bein here in Canada. Everything is a bit more expensive do to extra shippin costs and our lower dollar value. Will let ya all know how it goes. I’ll get er done. May take a bit longer cause I’ll need to saveup a little more but my days of hand pluckin chickens should be over. Maybe I’ll take my plucker on the road like the old threshin gangs in the old days. Make me a sign. Chickens Plucked, two bits each. Says it can pluck a chicken in 15 seconds. That would be a dollar a minute. I could make 60 bucks an hour pluckin chickens. I’ll be rich! If I build 2 pluckers, I could make………. Wonder if the bank would lend me some start up money? ;-)
Man, I am lookin forward to Spring. There is goin to be a ton of work to complete this year but it is what I call fun work. Workin on farmin stuff, buildin chicken pluckers, buildin stalls in barns and pig pens ain’t work at all. That kind of stuff makes me want to get up in the mornin and get goin.
Everyone is plannin or have been of a warm holiday. I wonder what is wrong with me? I have no urge to go away on a vacation. My vacation time (from my away job) is spent right here at home. Not because I have to but because I want to. No place on earth I would rather be than at home doin what we are doin. People ask, Are you goin someplace warm this winter? When you tell them no, they look at ya like they feel sorry for ya or something. Don’t feel sorry for me. I like stayin at home with my family and doin what we are doin. I feel sorry for you that ya all got to go lookin all over the place and spend a wheelbarrow full of money tryin to find some contentment.
Well as Bugs Bunny says, ThThThThThats all folks! Talk to ya all real soon. I want to blog a little more regular so to keep a better log on stuff.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
It's CCCCCCold
Sunday evenin in Cooks Creek. Weather here is cold. Very cold. Everything is suffering. Animals, machines and people. I said I wanted it to get colder to put an end to all the flu bugs and such that are goin around and guess what? I got my wish. I feel sorry for the animals in this weather. All ya can do is make sure they get lots of food and some shelter if ya can swing it. They need the food to give them the energy to keep themselves warm. I give them all they want when it is like this. All the wild critters just hunker down and wait it out. Ya don’t see any wild animals when it is like this. They are all hold up deep in the bush or their dens. We need to take a lesson from Mother Nature. There are times it ain’t fit to venture out so ya need to hold up and relax until things get where they need to be again. There was no school on Friday because of the weather. Think it was –48 with the wind-chill. Buses aren’t too dependable when it is that cold so they just shut the school down. Kids thought it was great and because the wife works at the school too, she also got a long weekend out of the deal. I know it is cold when the first thing the kids do when they get up is turn on the radio. They turn the radio to CJOB. Then they listen for the announcement the school division is closing schools. If their school isn’t mentioned it is sad sacks all around. If it is, ya never seen a happier bunch. Things are sure different now than when I went to school. I can only remember one time we didn’t have to go to school because of weather. That was a big blizzard in the 60s. 1964 I think. Whole South part of the province was shut down for days. I’m not so lucky. No day off for me because of weather. Just the opposite. When it is that cold and ya work in a vehicle repair shop things get a little goofy. We were busy and will be until the weather takes a break. I had to open a lock on a big gate on Friday. I couldn’t do it with my mitts on so I pulled them off. They were only off for about 15 seconds and handling that cold steel I froze my fingertips. Talk about burn.
Other than the weather the New Year seems to be off to a good start. I don’t know if it is wishful thinkin or my imagination but I think the days are getting a little longer already. Hard to believe half of January is gone already. Wife and daughters have gone to church to work on the play. Just me and my son at home here tonite. I have some snow to clean up but I don’t want to run the tractor when it is this cold. I also don’t want to sit on the tractor when it is this cold. The wood pile is goin down a little faster than I planned. Hope I don’t run out before the end of winter. I split a little wood yesterday. Sure splits nice when it is this cold. Hardly no effort needed at all.
On Sundays at noon there is a show on TV called Church of the Rock
(www.churchoftherock.ca/ChurchOfTheRock/). The pastor is the best. Man, can that fella hammer out a message. His name is Pastor Mark Hughs. We don’t attend a church so we have our own little service here at home and listen to Pastor Hughs. Today he was talkin about old time religion. Sins, Righteousness and Judgement. I got to admit when most of those preachers get to talkin my eyelids get heavy. Not with this preacher though. I’m awake and listenin and can even relate/understand what he is sayin. If any of ya have a chance give him a listen. They have a Saturday evening service. I was teasing the wife I was goin to take her out on a date and we would go into Winnipeg to the evening service. Actually that ain’t a bad idea. Maybe go out to dinner too. Have to give that a think.
I will leave you this evening with something that I read today and really hit home. “Good food may be more expensive but it is sure cheaper than doctors and hospitals”.
Stay warm.
Other than the weather the New Year seems to be off to a good start. I don’t know if it is wishful thinkin or my imagination but I think the days are getting a little longer already. Hard to believe half of January is gone already. Wife and daughters have gone to church to work on the play. Just me and my son at home here tonite. I have some snow to clean up but I don’t want to run the tractor when it is this cold. I also don’t want to sit on the tractor when it is this cold. The wood pile is goin down a little faster than I planned. Hope I don’t run out before the end of winter. I split a little wood yesterday. Sure splits nice when it is this cold. Hardly no effort needed at all.
On Sundays at noon there is a show on TV called Church of the Rock
(www.churchoftherock.ca/ChurchOfTheRock/). The pastor is the best. Man, can that fella hammer out a message. His name is Pastor Mark Hughs. We don’t attend a church so we have our own little service here at home and listen to Pastor Hughs. Today he was talkin about old time religion. Sins, Righteousness and Judgement. I got to admit when most of those preachers get to talkin my eyelids get heavy. Not with this preacher though. I’m awake and listenin and can even relate/understand what he is sayin. If any of ya have a chance give him a listen. They have a Saturday evening service. I was teasing the wife I was goin to take her out on a date and we would go into Winnipeg to the evening service. Actually that ain’t a bad idea. Maybe go out to dinner too. Have to give that a think.
I will leave you this evening with something that I read today and really hit home. “Good food may be more expensive but it is sure cheaper than doctors and hospitals”.
Stay warm.
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